PART 2


With his order, Biden declared the government intends to side with those who have historically faced discrimination, rather than those made uncomfortable by inclusion.

“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” the policy states.

His order also notes that LGBTQ discrimination often overlaps with other types of discrimination, and that “transgender Black Americans face unconscionably high levels of workplace discrimination, homelessness, and violence, including fatal violence.”

In a separate executive order promoting equity, Biden listed LGBTQ people among disadvantaged communities who might face systemic barriers to government policies and programs; the order calls for a review of all federal agencies in his administration’s first 200 days, along with proposals for dismantling barriers and promoting equity.

A Trump policy had explicitly barred transgender individuals from joining the military. Biden issued an executive order reversing that ban Monday.

Biden appointed several LGBTQ officials to high-profile roles in his new administration — including his Transportation Secretary nominee, Pete Buttigieg. His pick for assistant health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, would be the first transgender official confirmed by the U.S. Senate, if approved.

The doctor immediately faced attack from critics who said her gender identity made her unfit for the job.

Beckwith, for instance, said the doctor’s nomination “undermines the credibility” of the new administration because Levine is “in a constant denial of objective biological reality.”

“If you’re trying reinstill confidence in our institutions, putting someone in charge of a a major medical and health agency who denies basic scientific fact of human biology is going to cause people to question everything that they say,” Beckwith said.