I'd like to ask you to stick up for transgender people. I know that's too much for some of you, but it is truly needed. The House is trying to evict transgender people from citizenship.

A bill filed in the US House of Representatives this week would make sweeping changes to the civil rights laws that ban discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, or national origin.

Known as the Civil Rights Uniformity Act of 2017, the law “prohibits the word ‘sex’ or ‘gender’ from being interpreted to mean ‘gender identity’, and requires ‘man’ or ‘woman’ to be interpreted to refer exclusively to a person’s genetic sex.”

The proposal would alter a string of laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Fair Housing Act. It would also threaten non-discrimination provisions of Obamacare.

The bill, which has been strongly criticised by civil rights campaigners, was backed by Pete Olson (R-TX), Ralph Abraham (R-LA), Brian Babin (R-TX) and unsurprisingly, the House's leading transphobe, Vicky Hartzler (R-MO).

“The Obama Administration used brute force and coercion to compel states and localities to accept its redefinition of sex to include ‘gender identity.’

Though the Trump Administration has rolled back most of these overreaching executive orders, the Civil Rights Uniformity Act would ensure that any redefinition of sex by the U.S. government would have to originate from Congress and be passed into law, preventing future executive overreach.

This bill preserves the power of Congress and restores the voice of the people to make sure that ‘gender identity’ is not conflated with biological sex without explicit approval by the people’s representatives in Congress.

--Babin

We must reject the notion of false power stolen from Congress by a White House seeking to impose social policy on America.

The Founding Fathers never intended unelected bureaucrats in federal agencies to make sweeping changes to the definition of gender.

While we have a new president in office, we must restore the voice of the people given to them by our Constitution and put an end to this dangerous precedent of removing Congress’ power to make laws.

--Olson

in addition to pretending that trans people don’t deserve civil rights protections, this bill also pretends that intersex and non-binary people don’t exist. You’ll notice that the writers of the bill don’t define what they mean by “genetic sex” – and that’s because it’s famously difficult to define, with numerous factors involved. And many of these factors aren’t easy to check, even the supposedly “definite” and “binary” differentiators like chromosomes.

I’m an AFAB cis woman myself, and I have zero accessible confirmation that I’m XX. Like, it isn’t exactly on my birth certificate or license. Nor should it be. So am I supposed to let the government run a DNA test any time I want to qualify for Title IX protections? To file a workplace discrimination lawsuit? Even if the bill wasn’t disgustingly transphobic, it would still be highly impractical and expensive to enforce. How does one “prove” one’s “genetic sex”?

--Marykate Jasper

I know we’re already calling our senators about the “health care” bill, but be sure to tell your reps to vote a loud and determined “NO” on this one. Let them know that we’re all watching how they respond to attacks on trans people. This bill’s supporters think they can get it passed because (1) it will excite their transphobic base, and (2) they don’t think enough cis voters will care when Congress attacks their trans neighbors.

--Marykate Jasper

Should #HB2796 move forward, the ACLU will vigorously oppose this discriminatory effort to strip civil rights protections from trans people.

--ACLU

It’s not even subtle. A shorter version of the bill may as well read: “Hey, Trans people! You don’t count as American citizens!”

Laws like this prove the GOP cares only for oppressing the LGBT community — with special emphasis on the T. It’s more important than ever to tell Republicans where to stick their — surprisingly costly — transphobia.

--Matt Keeley