Dear John,

Accessing healthcare in the face of regular harassment and discrimination by doctors and insurers is painful and discouraging. Today’s new rule from the Trump Administration aims to give a green light to the mistreatment we already experience.  

We won’t let them do it. TLC intends to take any necessary action to challenge this rule—which goes against existing federal law and two decades of court rulings. 

We have created the families and support systems that will sustain us. This rule comes down amid a global pandemic—you can visit TLC’s COVID-19 resource page for community conversations and resources that you may find helpful during this time.  

This rule was also released in the middle of an epidemic of violence targeting Black people in the U.S., including the police murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and Tony McDade, a Black trans man, in Tallahassee, Florida—and the murders of two Black trans women, Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Riah Milton in Cincinnati, Ohio. The rule was released on the fourth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, on a day known as Pulse Remembrance Day. 

As a direct result of systemic racism, Black communities that are already most impacted by racist policing systems and practices have also been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Black trans women and Black trans femmes are disproportionately impacted by all forms of discrimination which leads to higher rates of poverty, poorer health outcomes, and increased likelihood of experiencing violence in other areas of life. 

Solutions to our current global health crisis—as well as the daily discrimination that trans people face in medical care—will come directly from those of us who are most affected and already leading the way: trans folks who are Black, Indigenous, disabled, migrant, and living with HIV. We will keep you updated on our fight against this new rule.  

In the meantime, pledge your support today for the Trans Agenda for Liberation. We will lead the resistance to this cruel attack by the Trump Administration, because we’ve done it before.  

Together in the movement,  

Kris and the TLC team