ACLU's Chase Strangio will argue for equal protection for transgender children at the Supreme Court today, Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Listen live here.
"I don't even want to think about having to go back to the dark place I was in
before I was able to come out and access the care that my doctors have
prescribed for me. I want this law to be struck down so that I can continue to
receive the care I need, in conversation with my parents and my doctors, and
have the freedom to live my life and do the things I enjoy."
Erin Reed will report live from the court as the case is made that the Tennessee law prohibiting gender-affirming medical care is unconstitutional. You can read to her updates here.
Strangio will argue that Tennessee’s law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, requiring that people in similar circumstances be treated the same under the law. Both sides in the case claim they are acting to protect minors from harm. NPR reports that at least 26 states have adopted laws restricting or banning such care for minors, and most of those states face lawsuits.
You heard from Tennessee State Sen. Jack Johnson who authored the bill claim that there hasn't been American research on gender-affirming care. He failed to mention that every Major American Medical association has done the research and supports gender-affirming medical care.
It has never been about Republicans suddenly caring about children who suffer from gender dysphoria. It has always been about their hate of minorities regardless of age.
Many Americans, myself included, listened and took heart as Canada's Prime Minister spoke during the last Trump administration making it clear that Canada welcomes LGBTQI asylum seekers.
Being Americans, we thought Justin Trudeau was speaking to US transgender citizens since we were experiencing our first taste of a totalitarian regime. He was not.
Canada is not accepting asylum seekers from the United States and never has. Full stop.
To seek asylum in Canada, you must be referred by The Rainbow Railroad, based in Toronto and New York, or the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Neither accept asylum applications from the US.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) does not resettle American citizens, but it does work with the U.S. government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to resettle refugees in the United States.
This paragraph can be found on the Rainbow Railroad website:
"With the recent re-election of Trump and the new administration’s proposed anti-LGBTQI+ and anti-immigration policies, we understand the fear and anxiety U.S. residents are experiencing. While we may not be able to relocate U.S. individuals, we have identified the following U.S.-based resources and organizations that provide support for LGBTQI+ Americans."
Listed among the resources are the Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline phone numbers Aint't that some shit? From a US-based refugee organization named in honor of the American Underground Railroad. Thoughts and prayers Mother Fuckers.
I didn't pursue asylum in Canada during Trump's first bumbling power-drunk term, because there wasn't a reason to. So I just went on believing it was an option. I remained in Texas with hundreds of other LGBTQI people to fight and ultimately lose time after time in Austin. Regardless of how many thousands testified against anti-trans bills, we watched in horror as our families with children fled and the legislature took away our medical care and liberties that every other American enjoys one at a time.
In 2024 the DPS without warning stopped honoring court-ordered gender marker changes. And a few months later fascist republican Bob Hall filed a bill that potentially allows DPS to revoke the license of every transgender person regardless of how long they have held it. I am recognized without debate as female so this would be personally devastating.
This time Trump has made it clear he will force us to de-transition or kill us in the process no matter which state we live in.
Trigger Warning
The campaign video by Trump is nothing more than lies, disinformation, and hate speech. But he did slip up and state his actual goal which is to pursue trans people of all ages no matter which state we live That qualifies us as a persecuted minority and we should be allowed to seek resettlement in Canada.
Trump has already installed authors of Project 2025, the roadmap to exterminating trans people in key points of power while distracting the world with outrageous rapist, anti-Vaxxer, racist, Putin sympathizer, and human trafficking cabinet picks.
One transgender advocate from Canada, Cait Glasson, filed a petition asking that the Government take direct action and begin accepting transgender refugees from the US and Great Britain. The US and GB are currently considered "safe counties" by Canadian law, but as you know, that has changed drastically.
The petition only needed 500 signatures but had 160,471 Canadian signatures when presented by Mike Morrice Kitchener Centre, Green Party Caucus. The petition was was tabled, meaning her motion was denied and/or buried under a mountain of red tape.
