Donald Trump's rollback of transgender protections and federal DEI programs draw the ire of some New Yorkers
NASSAU COUNTY, N.Y. -- Among President Donald Trump's 100 executive orders he planned to sign Monday are the rolling back of protections for transgender people, and ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government.
Those issues have made strong impacts in parts of the New York City area.
"It's just an attack on a small number of people"
Julie Grey-Owens, the executive director of Gender Equality New York Inc., and her wife, Barbara, said they planned to only watch sports on inauguration day as they braced for directives that would upend their lives.
And within minutes of Trump's second presidency beginning, he said, "It will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government there are only two genders, male and female."
That line received a standing ovation from those in attendance at the U.S. Capitol, but Grey-Owens, a transgender woman, called it hurtful and wrong.
"It's not based on any scientific fact. It's just an attack on a small number of people," Grey-Owens said.
"There are so many issues going on in this world right now that are so much more important than the self identification of human beings in the United States that it's like you're focusing on the wrong issues," New York City resident Sade Framness added.
Dr. Gennifer Herley, the founder of TransNewYork, said she is worried about the impact on young people.
"Everyone wants to protect children. We're not protecting children. This is detrimental to children," Herley said. "You're going to see a lot of discrimination rise -- it has already risen -- and more hate, and it's really dangerous."
Civil rights leaders: Orders are cruel and hypocritical
Trump also signaled the end of DEI hiring in the federal government.
"I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life," Trump said. "We will forge a society that is color blind and merit based."
DEI was implemented to root out systemic racism. Trump and other opponents frame it as reverse discrimination.
"It's such an erroneous misuse, given the type of people he has nominated who are actually not merit-based appointees," said Laura Harding, president of Erase Racism.
Civil rights leaders call the orders cruel and hypocritical.
"You cannot claim to unite the country while enacting policies designed to erase an entire community," said David Kilmnick, president of the LGBT Network.
The executive orders will impact federal hiring, training, and passport applications. Taxpayer money will not be used to fund transition services. A small number of federal prison inmates have had gender-affirming surgery.
There may be less of an impact in New York, where gender X is allowed on a driver's license, but advocacy groups say the message these measures send transcend state lines. They call them giant steps backward.
Revisiting Nassau County's transgender athletic ban
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman recently banned transgender athletes from competing on girls teams at county facilities, because of what he says is an unfair physical advantage.
At the inauguration, Blakeman applauded Trump.
"I think it was stupid and dangerous for biological males to play with females in organized sports. I think it's stupid to allow biological males to take a shower in a women's locker room," Blakeman said.
