Adelphi’s LGBTQIA+ Students Worried About Implications of Recent White House Executive Orders

By Arpan Josan

Throughout his election campaign, President Donald Trump and the Republican Party spent approximately $215 million on ads negatively targeting the transgender community. Since the start of his second term in January, President Trump has signed numerous executive orders attacking the rights of transgender people and other members of the LGBTQ+ community. All these changes are having an impact on Adelphi’s LGBTQIA+ community and those who support them as they continue to be made.

On inauguration day, Jan. 20, he signed an executive order directing the federal government only to recognize the two sexes: male and female. As a result, government employees may only refer to sex, not gender. Government-issued identification, such as passports and passport cards, are now required to show the individual's biological sex.  

Then Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the State Department to halt the usage of “X” gender markers on passports, which non-binary and transgender people commonly use to express their gender identity. Passports issued before this change containing the “X” markers can still be used without issue, but renewing them would result in a new passport without the marker.

On Jan. 28, Trump signed another order that banned gender-affirming care for anyone younger than 19. This order was given the name “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which describes gender-affirming care in reductive terms. This executive order restricts the usage of puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgery. 

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The President has also prohibited anyone who is transgender from serving in the military in another executive order he signed titled “Prioritizing  Military Excellence and Readiness.” According to the White House order statement, “Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”

Another order, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” states in Section 4 that government agencies are now required to ensure that spaces that are designated for “women, girls, or females (or for men, boys, or males) are designated by sex and not identity,” presumably to exclude transgender and non-binary people from participating equally in the workplace.

At Adelphi, Carmen Cardozo, vice president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), commented on their experience witnessing hostile, reductive rhetoric that they said only served to marginalize various communities. 

“This election season and our new president’s campaign on erasing so many narratives truly scare me. My trans friends, my own identity and LGBTQIA+ community as a whole could be returned to a violent era of being ignored and removed from the perception of being human,” said Cardozo, a junior business management major. “On top of the racial tensions of the removal of diversity and inclusion, we are quite literally being denied our own existence. This is no longer an issue that only concerns only our community but the entire United (barely) States. All of these are stepping stones to a terrifying future.” 

With these concerns in mind, Sentwali Bakari, vice president for Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, said in an email: “Adelphi University remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive and affirming environment for all members of our community. While we must comply with federal policy to protect Adelphi's mission and long-term stability, we will continue to promote a safe and welcoming place to live, learn and work." 

Riley Gallagher, who is transgender and a sophomore psychology major, shared that he feels as though the US is moving backwards instead of forwards. 

 “Everyday I just feel worse about how Trump and his administration are harming my community, especially trans people,” he said. “I know that there will always be gay and trans people and the LGBTQ+ will never be erased. If we all come together then Trump won’t be able to hurt us with his hatred.” 

When it comes to how the community should respond to these changes, Cardozo shared that the most vital action to take is to make sure that people are informed.  

“The more people know about all this harmful legislation, the more we can protest, move our politicians and document the rights that are being violated,” they said.

Cardozo said that the mission of GSA is to create an environment where people can be themselves and amplify voices that make it their priority to help the community. When it comes to how differently people are treated on campus versus outside of campus, they spoke about how a campus can offer a safer environment for one to be able to express oneself.   

“However, do not get confused. Adelphi's culture runs more in a way to turn a blind eye to your expression,” Cardoza said. “You will not be safe in some environments and must build skills to understand where you are welcome and where you should hide. There will come a time when you do not care how others perceive you and I applaud you. But if anything, please do not forget that not everyone is your friend.”