1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

Transgender people deserve to live with dignity, respect and equal rights. The Trump administration's executive order denying the very existence of transgender identity is cruel and misguided. It strips away basic legal protections, exposes vulnerable individuals to potential violence and discrimination, and promotes an environment of intolerance. This sweeping action threatens to erase transgender lives from the public sphere and pervades nearly every aspect of federal policy - from overturning military service and non-discrimination protections, to withholding crucial health care and facilitating blatant discrimination in housing, education and social services. It flies in the face of guidance from United Nations human rights bodies urging the US to address rampant mistreatment of transgender people, not enable it. I urge you to speak out forcefully against this discriminatory order and take concrete steps to safeguard the rights, safety and wellbeing of transgender Americans.