News & Commentary

This blog was co-written with Gender Justice, a Minnesota-based nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization devoted to addressing the causes and consequences of gender inequality. Their mission is broader than women's rights, standing alone. They fight any discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.  

Nicole Vanderheiden is a former Staff Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force and an Iraq war veteran. She is the lead organizer on transgender issues for Common Defense PAC and advocates for transgender youth and families.Last month, Donald Trump issued three tweets signaling his intention to exclude transgender individuals from the U.S. military. His tweets prompted a lawsuit by transgender service members and the cloud of uncertainty around it still has not dissipated weeks after the declaration. Current transgender service members have told me military units and medical facilities are using Trump’s proposal inconsistently as a justification to deny records updates and transition related medical care – even after the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford, said the Pent

Guest Contributor: Keelia Silvis. Keelia is a queer scientist who believes in the power of communication, advocacy, and civic engagement. She has been a member of the ACLU since November of 2016.

A 15-year-old transgender girl living on the Iron Range in Minnesota, identified only as Jane Doe to protect her privacy, can finally breathe a sigh of relief and try to get back to normal life.

Contributed by Mahad Olad