After Texas Suit, Trump Administration Reverses Prison Policies Protecting Transgender Inmates

AUSTIN — Transgender women will now be housed in female prisons only "in rare cases," the Trump administration announced Friday in a major reversal of federal policy.Since 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has required federal inmates' gender identity to "be given serious consideration" in housing decisions. Now, transgender prisoners will be asked to meet several new standards before they can be considered for transfer to a new unit.The change came after female inmates in Texas sued the administration to overturn LGBT prisoner protections established under President Barack Obama. It's unclear whether the policy change will affect the nearly 500 trans men and women currently incarcerated in federal prisons.In the last year, the Trump administration has repealed school protections for trans students and attempted to block trans servicemen and women from the Armed Forces. Advocates say the newest policy change continues the pattern of attacking transgender Americans and their rights."Transgender people already know the Trump-Pence administration is dedicated to stripping away our rights," Mara Keisling, president of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said Friday. "Their cruelty is only made more evident as they continually go after the most vulnerable among us."  Continue reading...