♪ > > This week.

The Wheelhouse he knew that he and and President Trump's rejection of trans identity and reaction from the community.

♪ > > for Connecticut Public on Frankie Graziano.

This is the Wheelhouse.

The show that connects politics.

The people weve got your weekly dose of politics in Connecticut and beyond right here.

And President Donald Trump's first day in office.

He signed an executive order stating that the government would recognize only 2 sexes, male and female.

From passports to health care.

As a result, federal agencies have already begun rolling back the acknowledgement of trans Americans, but not without obstacles in their way.

Legal challenges still pending threatened President Trump's ability to take away trance So what does all this mean for trans residents of Connecticut?

Joining me now is Ricardo Martinez, Executive director of.

Glad lot.

Mister Martinez, great to have you on the show.

> > Happy to be here.

Thanks for having me.

> > Thank you so much.

Folks out there.

If you have any questions about your access to gender affirming care or a passport with the correct gender marker.

Give us a call.

8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 720-9677.

Ricardo, want to start off with this glad laws been litigating cases.

Involving discriminatory practices towards trans people for decades.

Not just now, obviously is there anything that sets the work you're doing today?

Apart from previous years?

> > Yeah, I think the first thing that comes to mind is just this moment, right?

The moment is different and the type of coordinated, cruel and relentless attack on transgender people that were up against in the effort and resources that are being put into preventing transgender people from navigating and function in society safely.

At this time.

It's just different.

Then are working the past and because it's such an urgent moment having early winds is essential, right?

I think our strategy has been surging in litigation and really meeting the moment at on and as I mentioned, just having those early wins, gives us time to build stronger protections and helps Americans understand what's really at stake because this isn't just about transgender people's rights.

It's about whether or not this nation will be governed by law rather than a nation that's going to be led by those who think they're above it.

> > What legal challenges to Trump's orders?

Are you involved in right now?

So glad line.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights as you are challenging Trump's transgender military ban, executive order were representing individuals who have > > and listed as well as active service members who have decades of experience across all branches contributing among the highest level of service we have to legal challenges there.

We have the Trump Doby Bondi and Jay Jones be glad law.

And its you or I filed 3 lawsuits challenging sections of the executive order that directs the Federal Bureau of Prisons to house transgender women and men's prisons and to unlawfully withhold necessary medical care.

Putting them in unnecessary and imminent risk.

And the last one, the last challenge led law and the ACLU to Hampshire are defending Parker and Iris to transgender high school.

I school is challenging the ban that aims to keep them and other trans girls from playing sports with their friends.

> > I appreciate the fact that you brought that up because that's been something that's outstanding in Connecticut in recent years.

And glad has been defending 2 students in particular against a several students and a national effort led by I forget the off the top of my head right now, kind of sputtering.

I apologize.

But it was a Andrea Yearwood was the student athlete here in Connecticut.

Terry Miller, another student athlete here in Connecticut.

But essentially it was the alliance defending freedom that was challenging their right and others, a law that stands here in Connecticut that allows athletes too participate in sports to the gender to which they identify with.

And that's the worry a lot of been doing.

> > For sure, you know, prior to my work at glad Law, I worked for the gay, lesbian straight Education network back in 2010.

So Connecticut isn't new in this issue isn't new, right?

We were having nuanced conversations with parents with school administrators, teachers and the young people themselves back in 2010, 2012 about how do we allow everyone to feel a sense of school belonging without alienating folks in what is best for school communities.

Right.

And I think at the time we they were they were finding solutions that work and now we're in a place where exclusion is what's being a champion.

I for local context and people aren't necessarily having conversations that really what we have all committed to right, which is ensuring that kids can learn can go to school and focus on the things that are most important.

> > Thank you so much for that perspective.

Earlier, I believe he said litigation surge.

What does that mean?

Basically getting ahead of things and challenging earlier rather than later, early winds trying to get some early wins.

> > Yeah, I think early winds are important for a lot of reason.

The first one being hope, right?

I think we're in this moment where > > it feels like.

> > An extraordinary moment in history where things are moving so quickly.

People > > Kind of shocked and amazed are.

about just the cruelty, the language that's being used and certain We need some moment, meaning there are people in imminent danger as a result of these executive orders and we need to move as quickly as possible and to ensure that we are DeWayne that harm from actually occurring.

Although we know that just that the rollout of those executive orders causes at at a local contacts for people were just trying to navigate life.

What harms are you seeing mentioned those times when you see.

> > How are people doing?

> > our free legal helpline.

Glad line answers has responded to over nearly 2000 inquiries this year since January.

20th, that help wind helps our entire community.

But since January, we've gotten cause disproportionately from transgender people who need help navigating urgent legal questions on family protections, health care access school rise, identity document changes and online safety.

And additionally requests for assistance to our trans Gender identification Project, which provides step-by-step guidance on updating gender markers and other documents have tripled personally.

You know, I have.

Participated in a lot of panels and a lot of local events a chances to chat with community members who before these attacks were already struggling with finding affordable housing or finding and keeping employment or accessing necessary and affordable health care that this dangerous misinformation campaign has negatively contributed to that experience in terms of heightening the experience of discrimination as they navigate life and their own self sense of safety and security.

> > Kinetic is still considered a safe place for trans people.

What about other neighboring states in New England?

And how does this kind of jive with federal law?

> > That's a good question.

So regardless of where trans members of our community to live, they are all worried about their personal safety right?

Even in states like Connecticut where state law explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in areas like employment, housing, public accommodations, etc.

There, that this information just has an impact on how people navigate their everyday life.

Right.

And while the same is true for neighboring states like Massachusetts and Rhode Island, New Hampshire recently passed sports fan last year that we are currently litigating and are currently moving forward with a bill aiming to take medical care away from trans adolescence.

> > I appreciate that.

You bring that up because that is an important designation that you may have laws in place, but still, when there's rhetoric, when there's misinformation, when people are rejecting your identity, I imagine that's got to be hard for people.

How much can Connecticut safeguard its residents?

Again, some of these executive orders, what can be done?

> > Yeah, I think to your point, you know, I worked in Texas for about 5 years before I moved to Boston to do this work with glad lot and that's information regardless of where you are in bold.

It's people who don't seek to understand you to to cause you harm to discriminate against you, to violate you too, intimidate you and public life.

I think it's important to note that executive orders cannot directly over it or change existing federal and state law.

Right?

I think that's important.

I think it's critically important that lawmakers.

Actively work to ensure that existing protections are preserved at the state level.

And it's also important to practice uncommon courage at this moment and continue to be vocal allies to the LGBTQ community.

This is really not a time to strengthen our vocal support.

I also think that everyone in Connecticut has a role in protecting democracy.

We always suggest for people to get involved with state and local work, whether it's adopting an LGBTQ center or a statewide organization, including getting involved in a school committees and school boards showing up and making sure that, you know, these anti LGBTQ measures, art shows and fierce opposition.

We do have any idea where you mentioned really quickly, the ban in New Hampshire that was enacted in your challenging it.

> > We have a challenge here in Connecticut.

We're to the east and have a change at least since the administration has come on board.

The new administration.

You know that for early to decide where those are > > think it's too early to decide, which is why it's important for people to really move vocally and the opposition of these measures.

Right?

I think people forget, you know, go back to Texas really quickly because I think this is important to know that back in 2020 3, there were 146 anti LGBTQ bills filed in the state of Texas and the they had him in this landscape where there was limited institutional power meeting.

There was no supported governor or Lieutenant Governor.

We didn't have a majority in the Senate or the House and yet only 7 anti LGBTQ bills ended up passing.

I say yet, even though those were incredibly harmful passages, the 139 of those were did not pass.

And the only reason why they do pass is because thousands of people kept going up to the Capitol.

Right?

I think we need that high of opposition year to ensure that where we do have rights, they are protected.

Someone listening right now has been considering updating their documents.

> > Especially state docs like driver's license, birth certificates would now be the time to do so.

> > Yeah, that's a good question.

I think we get it very often.

It I think if folks who want to update their identity documents or secure a legal name change, there are resource available.

Proposing Connecticut on our website.

We have a resource that folks consider individual factors when deciding to proceed in updating those identity document.

Right.

And these decisions are personal and should be based on specific circumstances needs and the comfort level of the person who is and there are a couple of folks who our focus or have legal help wise, like led by answers and sea or as it help desk and the national LGBTQ Bar Association and the ACLU all have help.

That's that can to navigate the space.

Can you share that website?

Link?

> > And in case anybody would like to visit that linked to glad line and access this interface.

> > Yeah, I mean, as soon as you go to glide law dot org, you'll see it at the very top.

> > Is preparedness, something you would encourage for trans people right now.

So what does this look like?

What are some of the other in tangible ways she the tangible ways trans people can begin to safeguard their rights.

I think the pair this is important.

> > But for all people, right, it's complicated.

Suggesting tangible ways that anyone can begin to preparing this moment.

But > > if I had to suggest some stuff, I probably focus on 3 things.

Number one, I think we only to identify people that we can turn to in case of emergency right?

We need to surround ourselves with people who work with us and can and we can experience joy with because it will help sustain us over time.

And I think the 3rd would be just taking personal inventory of your current situation, right.

Think about your health care access.

Think about your family structure.

You're on my safety identity document is where you see vulnerabilities and how can you build a contingency plan and what resources like landmark and CR ACLU land.

They can you turn to for support.

> > I'm glad that you brought up a trance to enjoy and general, let's a table that for now with you.

But I'm going to have that conversation later on.

I appreciate you bringing that up because it is important to look at life in certain ways here.

But we are on the brink of summer.

It means travel vacation.

Do you have any advice for Connecticut's transfer residents as they prepared for out-of-state trips?

> > Yeah, I think it goes back to that preparedness question that you you just pokes, right?

I think we need to do our work and some of that work involves evaluating the risks that were in depending on where we choose to travel, right.

I know some folks that have any trepidation about international travel, and I think that there are things that and make sure that people can take 2 ensure that they have a plan in case they're stopped on their way.

Back to United States.

I would be mindful if you're traveling in the states about what state you're traveling to and being just knowledgeable about the laws in those states.

The movement Advancement Project has a great resource to tracks the different LGBTQ related laws and policies across the United States.

So I would urge people to make sure that they know the seats at the traveling, what those laws are.

No, the organizations that are operating in states because it's likely that is an O G B T Q CENTER or a statewide advocacy organization that exist, whether it's small or large.

It depends on the state, but make sure that you have people you can turn to in case of emergencies and if at all possible traveling in groups rather than allow is really helpful.

You mentioned measures that people can take if they travel internationally.

And I think it's returning back to to America at this point.

> > Is that we're talking about maybe traveling in can just get into those measures a little bit, something more tangible there.

> > Yeah, I you know.

The nation that.

Supports LGBTQ > > We are taking measures for people.

our own personal safety, right.

And some of those measures include ensuring that that our phones are locked down, right, that they're that my of biometrics.

It turned off that are that we're not sharing your passcode.

I know we're taking the proper precautions to ensure our online safety is maintained we're not traveling with laptops.

I would say.

And during that again, people know exactly your itinerary when you're supposed to arrive when you're the party things like that, that we'll just prepare Worst case scenario.

And that's what > > Very much sounds like.

this.

This is an existential threat.

This is a right now think this is something that's happening.

Something that you and people are having to take very serious, something we should all take serious.

That's what you're making.

It sound like here.

> > Yeah.

For sure.

> > And at the same time we hope that the worst doesn't happen, right?

But I think we just need to be prepared and we can't.

that we can tell ourselves that the attacks on the rights or freedoms of other people.

That do not sure exactly what experience do touch just directly, right?

Because this is from the brutality offers no protection.

And so whatever we can do to take steps to ensure that we remain protected are probably the right things to do.

Even if the worst case scenario doesn't ultimately panda, you may hope it doesn't.

You mentioned the movement Advancement Project I want you to get into as we finish up this interview.

Some resources, our listeners.

> > Or maybe they're being impacted or somebody that they know being maybe fairly unfairly discriminated against.

Can you get into some of those resources and try to spell out where people can find these things as well.

> > Yeah.

Wish I had come from Perryville.

The URL You already got of those looks like they got the moves up.

We know gladly down toward.

That's that's one.

But maybe not necessarily the the the URL is if you don't but but keep sharing places, if you can.

If you haven't yet, you think people should use underscored is a is a popular thing.

I like to say on that Wheelhouse and maybe people drink when I use the word underscore caseys it too much.

I would say that one resource that is similar to the movement Advancement Project that resource to find statewide organizations and Equality Federation.

So the federation houses links and connections to all those statewide organizations our operating in are doing some of this advocacy work.

They're definitely a place to go to organizations.

Like I mentioned before the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Glad Law ACLU helped and the legal help desk LGBTQ bar association.

All those things as long as you do a Google search, they'll come up pretty quickly.

Those are Goering nations to turn to in terms of Connecticut.

They might be mutual aid some local organizers organizations doing this work and there were big can be linked through the Equality Federation site.

I'm sure.

> > This was a tremendously helpful conversation.

And I understand that there's going to be a lot of resources that we're going to be able to spin out of the conversation that we just had out to our listeners here in Connecticut via our NEWSROOM.

Thank you so much.

As Ricardo Martinez, executive director of GLAD Law.

Thank you so much for being on the show.

Ricardo gave us a lot of info about resources.

If you're interested in finding them, we link to him at our website CT Public Dot Org, slash Wheelhouse.

Coming up, a proposed rule that could make health care costs go up for trans Americans.

> > Are you worried about your health coverage?

Join the conversation.

8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, back with more on the Wheelhouse after these messages.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

President Trump and his administration are taking aim at transit Americans and under recent role, health care could get more expensive for transgender people.

Here to tell us more, the return of Orion Rambler LGBTQ+ reporter from the 19th Henri on.

Thank you for coming on the show today.

Thank you so much.

Thanks so much, Frank 8.

Good to good to see you, too.

And Evan Urquhart.

Journalists and founder of assigned Media.

Evan, Great to have you here.

Thanks so much for coming on the show.

That's great to be here.

It 7 Urquhart right that pronounced that right and wrong the first time I apologize for that.

Evan.

Governor, Kate, no worries.

There you go.

You can join the conversation.

80 7 to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, Evan, the push by Republican state lawmakers primarily to stop transgender adults and minors from being legally recognized in public life isn't new.

But are there new tactics being used now?

Is this a is this a different kind of attack here?

And it certainly is, or at least it's an escalation.

Continuing to push the borders of the constitution of, you know, sort of that tradition in America of live and let live.

> > And so we're seeing some specifics such as Trump executive order you know, attempting to ban or gender affirming care for youth world.

nationwide that to find the child is anyone under 19.

So you would normally think of under 18.

And so that sort of pushing the boundaries of whether they can just sort of that will change what the definition of a child is.

We've got you know, both states and the federal government talked targeting doctors and hospitals providing evidence-based health care.

There are threats of, you know.

Prosecution.

There are threats of withdrawing funding, but we've also got this kind broader umbrella that falls under maybe eliminating legal recognition for trans people in this is things like defining woman unmanned, such in such a way that transgender people would sort of be defined out of eggs in the distance.

There's, you know, throwing around words like fraud to describe living as a transgender people person is fraudulent and sort of an overall attempt to sort of a race, transgender people as a type of person and to substitute this idea of us being, you know, pushing a dangerous ideology that harming the country I know that's not new.

And that's important to highlight because we'll try to do this quickly here.

But I think what we're essentially trying to ask you the question before is you've always had people like the ATF, for example, the Alliance defending Freedom when they're writing laws, they've been using the kind of words that we're seeing now in in indoctrinated into federal law.

And that seems to be the change where we're seeing some of this rhetoric that we've had in the past Ryan and I have been talking about over the last couple of years.

That is now seeping its way into U.S. Federal law.

And even that executive order that we saw one of the Trump administration is that kind of what's new and what rhetoric is may be taking hold in and at least finding some success, at least in terms of the law and maybe spreading misinformation.

Yeah.

I mean, the laws, the shifting target and I think everyone is sort of scrambling to provide accurate information.

That's up to date.

The judiciary has never been more politicized.

And, you know, the constitutional protections that we think we have such as free expression free association it isn't clear, you know, whether their whole they'll hold so that the innovation is to sort of attack those constitutional protections, an individual right on a federal level in a way that we haven't seen before and that it's not clear you know how much of this the judiciary is going to allow.

What are you hearing from folks in the trans community?

Are there any anecdotes that you'd like to share?

Yeah.

So.

The trans community has been pretty worried for a pretty long time.

And I think that it's it's very common for people to be having discussions about you know, can I leave my state?

Can I leave the country when what I have to leave the country.

What is the moment that I would need to know consider that it's no longer safe to be a trans person either in, you know, it's a red state or in the country at large.

I think the most vulnerable people are these families who have friends, youth who have sought health care for them who are afraid of having their and their children taken away from them or even of going to jail for example, one of the families that I'm incomes communication with has a frandsen who's doing great now.

But who originally started on the path of getting gender affirming care because he had a suicide attempt to 10 years old.

And so this is a family in Texas who are constantly wondering.

Do we need to leave are the authorities going to kind of find out that our son, you know, had this care?

Can we make it too?

The end of his senior year in high school and they're sort of a constant reflection over over whether they're safe and whether they need to put their lives.

That's going on.

You know, and every day.

I'm so moved by that that it's so hard to move on from that conversation.

So I I do want to pick that up because that is something that's very important to talk about because > > there is your right.

There's also you're right to find joy and not be persecuted every day.

I do want to talk about that even further.

But first, I do have to bring in Orion because I want to talk about transgender day of visibility being marked exactly one month ago.

You covered the rally that took place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Who was there and what year from?

> > And and the first thing that surprised me about that rally, is there a lot of cisgender people there.

For the day.

That's designed to be about.

Thanks.

Celebrating trends people, especially in a moment where we're being politically attacked.

And there are a lot of things people could come to protest and a say, but has to come to this one.

And there were about 15 members of Congress, all Democrats who spoke at the rally from different states.

A lot of blue states and they were there to the hospital were there to get a message of they want to fight for rights at the federal level.

There are a lot of trans because there, but when I was in the crowd at talking to folks, I spoke with.

Add this one and is a federal worker and she one man and and you know, she is seen with with doge at dismantling a lot of federal agencies to choose obviously dealt with a lot as a federal employee.

But I was struck whenever she Tomei at that her her red line, a vote actually make could go off as a federal workers.

If she was never told to stop wearing her a trans pride pens at work and I I was just like wow of that.

Yeah.

And they're all segments and cause students and trans college students and their retirees.

There about a concerned family members, trans people local, the DC it is actually a lot of times we live in DC is that and energized crowd has a lot of that folks finding a moment of catharsis.

I think right > > very important to hear those anecdotes.

Transfer visibility day created to give trance people a day of joy.

Despite the anti-trans gent legislation we've seen and all this rhetoric can there still be this joy and were you able to see this in Washington, D.C.?

> > Absolutely.

The right was there.

And I think it's the most strongly in these these 2 young, Kids and and cause since they were just holding each other.

They wrapped around a pride and at trans pride flag as they watched.

And I spoke to them and they said that something as simple as just being surrounded by other people who care about them to understand what's going on because there is so much to keep track of under this second Trump administration.

So many ways people are being impacted.

There's a sense from some trans people that maybe people aren't aware of what's happening in this community.

So people did feel that joy, just from this impressive things, right by people who care who are aware.

I know you know how bad the situation is becoming.

> > And you talked about people potentially leaving the country because of how bad things are.

This is something people are looking for refuge potentially are are.

Are they finding that and where might day they find that outside of the United States?

And what do the laws look like in those other places?

I would imagine they look very similar to what they are in Connecticut.

> > the during leaving the country is a very individual choice.

> > It's not it's not easy to get to get residency elsewhere.

And so people generally have to take a very individual look at, you know, their own circumstances where they have family where they have, you know, kind of history or ties.

And so we do see both the process of people moving from.

States that are you know, dominated by the Republican Party and have instituted these kind of oppressive laws.

2 states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, places where protections are still existing and also people looking at.

But I leave the country doesn't make sense for me.

And I think, you know, I'm very much encourage and trans people, too, to think about it, too, like have it on their radar.

If it's possible.

I don't think we want people to panic, but I do think that, you know, ultimately the federal government has a lot of power and the federal government is really determined to push the boundaries of what's legal in.

We've already seen the tensions that, you know, most of us would consider unconstitutional and illegal going forward to.

So it's kind of without panicking, considering if there is an ability to get to safety and what that would look like something that I've encourage people to do in that I've engaged in the self.

There's a report.

using there's a proposed rule dealing with health care than I'd like to put some focus on Orion.

This questions for you.

You're reporting that this rule from the center for Medicare and Medicaid Services could bring costs up for transgender Americans starting in 2020 2026, can you describe what the rule proposes?

> > Absolutely.

So this is one piece of a very large.

A proposal from the Centers for Medicare, Medicaid Services.

The entire thing could cause up to 2 million people to lose their health care coverage in 2026. from my reporting because it might be a focus on what this will do for trans Americans and the agency wants to stop insurance, sold on the individual and small-group my complaints from including gender affirming care and and this.

It would cause costs to go up.

Defend like it would definitely cause cars to go for anyone.

You get.

It's their health care through the marketplace and Affordable Care marketplace plan like it plan they get through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

As for the experts.

There are.

So that's a definitive what impact it would have been.

There are other impacts.

It could potentially have.

It could also cause cars to go out for trans people who are on employee or employer sponsored health care plans.

And another potential impact here could be that it causes bad behavior from insurance companies because they're getting a signal from the federal government that we don't want you to be covering gender-affirming care for trans people.

And the way that this rule talks about gender affirming care the way that it describes it could encourage experts expect he said this could encourage health insurance companies to be more dismissive of coverage for trans people overall, even when it's not related to gender affirming care.

So there are a lot of possibilities at the base level and affected be higher costs, which is bad for a group that already disproportionately lives in poverty or has low income.

What forms the health care would be in jeopardy.

So rule deals with essential health benefits.

And these are the kind of basic care like hospitalization, mental health services and prescription drugs that if I would care act mandates, health insurance has to cover these areas.

And without getting too deep into the weeds because this is it's so much fun to talk about management and this is basic care.

And the strange part of this rule is that gender affirming care is a very broad concept and it's very broad from of care that income passes.

All of these basic care elements that is as essential health benefit.

Getting it done for me.

Surgery means hospitalization going on, hormones me to get a prescription from the pharmacy.

And Jennifer Mink bike and achieving both of those things means you have to see a mental health provider to every step of this gender.

Affirming care is evening.

We are getting having to use an essential health benefit.

So that's kind of that.

The warning signal that experts are putting up here that they're trying to.

This rule.

They're trying to take their time to make 10 different cameras.

Spence, a farm, had it not be cover it.

When at every step, but it needs to be covered as basic care.

Just a proposal at this point.

Where does it go from here?

Yes.

Said the proposal left public comments.

I believe.

And yeah, it's still a problem.

It left public comments earlier in April and now the agency has the joy of reading like 25,000 public comments.

They do have to look through that is and then it will.

Yeah, this is in the Federal register.

Are its like any policy.

It usually like every step takes like a couple months.

So it you know, it's it's going to be.

At and that the tax may change a key point out.

It's not a final rule.

> > Earlier this year has been the Trump administration race references to transgender people from New York's Stonewall National Monument website.

The National Park Service website.

Shorten the acronym LGBTQ+ to L G B standing for lesbian, gay and bisexual right?

That's right.

It's a it's a sort of design > > you know, acronym that doesn't really organically exist in the LGBTQ community, which has been and inclusive back to its origins, which is often kind of associated with Stonewall.

But this time > > so.

I would imagine that since you're saying that this is not something has been used in the community.

It's something that's being met at a with banks that would imagine.

Yet the a Rea shares of words like trends and transgender and > > even the letter T itself from Web overseen by the federal government it's sort of part of this larger process of trying to erase trans people from.

Public life.

Which is something that is very unsettling you know, the administration wants to impose upon the culture this sort of forgetting the sort you know, erasing the memory that trans people are accepted and welcomed able to participate and and, you know, that sort of vast cultural project I would say is the type of thing that has been undertaken in some of the worst authoritarian regimes in history and its associated with some extreme darkness in terms of persecution.

But I would say on the other hand, we have a very you know, international community with the Internet and sources of information that really couldn't have been even imagined in some of those darker times that I'm sort of referencing.

you know, so it's sort of yet to be seen if they can reshape the culture in this sort of hateful image.

But it's very frightening and unsettling.

And, you know, for transgender people.

You know, they're trying to tell us that we worthy of respect and dignity like any other American, which is something that you sort of can't not a response to that.

And just not not just trans people, obviously, but you're also having queer and intersex and more in that and that conversation as well.

Yes, absolutely.

I mean, finish and of sex as being male and female with nothing in between and no ability to change.

It's sort of biologically incorrect because we know that there are many intersex conditions that would fall into a sort of gray area are in between you know, and it's sort of really frightening to see this sort of black is white 2 plus 2 equals 5 federal government that wants to sort of impose a cultural narrative on you know, factual reality.

> > Your reporter and they're also making a biologist nowadays.

You have to understand all this and help us impacted.

Orion recently spoke to some of the LGBTQ+ elders who experienced the 1969 a stonewall uprising in New York City.

First 10 help us understand more about Stonewall, why it's relevant to this conversation and what you heard from those folks.

And I spoke the teen killed or including Carla J and she was at the second night of this tunnel protests.

And I speaking to her knees, other other TV, others to just hear from them.

Take it to give us some perspective our current moment because like Alvin talking about the Trump administration on day one made it very clear that they wanted to send a very strong signal and what they believe about trans people, which is pretty unprecedented like the amount of time they spent on it.

But I want to speak with these out is to have some perspective on, whereas as community been before, has it been darker?

How did get through these hard times?

And and what Carla, the Tony.

And with these other elders told me as that they are worried that history will repeat itself.

They are worried that the 2 weekend people will be.

But in the dark again by Trump's the county and policy Stephen King.

People.

But they also said that things are not that bad yet that it's not as bad as it was before stand law yet and they really I want young young girl att Lgtbq people too.

Start taking steps to prioritize their own mental health and their insanity has they just deal with realities of.

But if right now and as they find ways to try and fight bank and they were just sharing different memories from when they're younger.

Like Karla said that she was afraid before every protest she went to including state law.

He's afraid of, you know, getting arrested.

She's afraid of getting be the fear.

Never left her.

But what her in these other others told they've had to learn how to and fear without letting its follow them.

I what that looks like is pretty much is pacing themselves and make finding ways to just builder and cops like Remember themselves.

And so that was really helpful conversation from and I have for our readers.

> > Mental health is so crucial for all those.

Thank you so much for bringing that Ryan and earlier, Evan talked about something that somebody was dealing with and now having trouble addressing because of what's happening.

I just want to mention before we had to break that if you're in crisis, you're not alone.

If you live in Connecticut, there are many suicide prevention resources available.

You can call 2, 1, 1, and press one or call text 9, 8, 8, or chat by visiting Www 0.9, 8, 8, lifeline dot org.

After the break, talk about passports.

If you identify within X marker as many non binary people do.

Is your passport still valid?

Give us a call.

8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, Back with more in a minute.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is the Wheelhouse from Connecticut Public Radio.

I'm Frankie Graziano.

President Trump wants to do away with the option.

Many 9 binary Americans used to identify their gender as X on passports.

But as it turns out, there are obstacles in the way of doing that.

So with me, Orion run where LGBTQ+ reporter from the 19th and Evan Urquhart.

Journalist and founder of assigned media folks join the conversation.

I know a lot of you were just listening by, but you can feel free to call as well.

8, 8, 8, 7, to 0, 9, 6, 7, 7, work in really quickly as part of this conversation, Ryan, when didn't x marker becoming option on U.S.?

Passports.

> > This pick him out and says something the Biden administration worked to implement canyons.

Turns 10.0 21 2022 thanks.

Became able to GATT and Agreement, passport, which is you mentioned a lot.

A non-binary folks want this.

But also and that it can also be a > > tender marked the for Feb hopeful.

site for someone who does have binary gender.

> > But their presentation may confuse border officials, especially the trans man who identified the man.

But he wanted to get in next month to her because no matter what other gender marker he is at the border.

The border officials didn't believe him because his gender expression was too ambiguous to.

He was like, oh, get an ex-partner because then they won't be confused.

But now he can't do that.

> > President Trump aiming to block access to the X marker on passports.

A federal judge has blocked that effort.

Ryan, does the federal judge is blocking apply to everyone in the country or is it only to the plaintiffs involved in the case jurisdiction?

What are we looking at?

> > Safe in this is so UK's, it's only the I believe 6 point S who?

Can now access the gender markers, anytime says so.

It's not a nationwide ruling.

The ACLU, of course, is is pushing to make that happen.

> > There's a federal judge is blocking of this rule serve as a glimmer of hope for the transgender community.

Evan.

Certainly a glimmer of hope to see that the federal judiciary is sort of.

> > Pushing back on these constitutional grounds to protect every American.

I do think that the concern is that we have a sort of increasingly radicalized in partisan Supreme Court and we don't know what's going to happen in terms of protecting our individual rights, particularly as trans people when it when it gets up there.

What does all this mean in a practical sense for people who already have a valid passport with an X marker?

Orion?

> > And what about people who are hoping to apply for a passport with an X marker?

> > If you are traveling, if you're a trans person and the X marker on your passport, I would not use that passport when you travel right now, > > so far there's one case that I've seen where trends woman in this case and this major was traveling at stateside at an airport within X gender marker and she was stopping given a hard time about it.

I need to touch base to get more details about it.

but it's tough because we don't have a lot of clarity and a lot of times like the way you're treated as a trans person.

When you travel depends on the state, you're in what that TSA TSA officer feels like that day and how the system and the airport is set out because it is a very gendered system for how you go through TSA like they checked boxes.

This a banner female.

So practically speaking.

Thank the State Department has said that if you have a passport with an X gender marker on it like this is a valid American like no one can take it from you because it is passed for it.

And the State Department has asked people to voluntarily as sending their x marker passports to get it updated tier birth assigned of sex.

But they can't make you do that.

And you know, but they're not going to issue new X marker passports for > > Very important perspective there.

Very important report reporting that a Orion is doing LGBTQ+ reporter from the 19 look forward to a follow-up on that expat sports story and all the great work that you're doing, including covering transfers, ability day last month.

Ryan, where can people find you?

> > At 19th News Dot Org.

Yeah.

Much thinking.

> > Be sure to go there.

We stand.

The 19th or Connecticut Public is my a former colleague make don't > > And you've been listening you say?

to Evan Urquhart the are card.

The journalist and founder of the sign Media.

Evan, really appreciate your insights today.

Where can people find you?

That would be assigned media dot work Frankie and also stand the 19th.

Absolutely.

> > Yeah, we're going to stand aside media to as well.

> > Today show produced by Chloe when when a fantastic job she did.

Amid a lot of things going on.

Thank you so much, Chloe.

Edited by Robin.

Do in Aiken, our technical producers, Dylan Reyes.

Folks download the Wheelhouse anytime on your favorite podcast app.

Frankie Graziano.

This is the Wheelhouse.

Thank you so much for listening.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪