CRUEL MOVE

Trans Woman Transferred to Men’s Prisons Despite Rulings Against Trump’s Order

Incarcerated trans women report mistreatment and legal violations as they’re transferred to men’s prisons.

Transgender women in U.S. prisons are being transferred to men’s facilities, defying court rulings that blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order banning the placement of trans women in women’s prisons, The Guardian reported. The order, issued on Trump’s first day in office, mandated that no federal funds be used for gender-affirming treatments and that trans women be housed in men’s detention centers. The policy faced immediate legal challenges, resulting in several federal court rulings that blocked its implementation, especially for women who were plaintiffs in related lawsuits. Despite these rulings, civil rights lawyers report that some transgender women are still being moved to male facilities. One such individual, 31-year-old Whitney, was transferred this week from a women’s facility to a men’s prison, where her records were altered to reflect a male identity. In a statement, she described feeling punished “for existing,” adding that she was used as a political pawn. Legal experts assert that this practice violates the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), which requires prisons to assess inmates’ risk of sexual assault and consider their LGBTQ+ status in housing decisions. Internal Bureau of Prisons memos also indicate that officials are now denying trans women gender-appropriate clothing and requiring staff to use incorrect pronouns, further exacerbating their mistreatment.