By Adenike Lawal
On January 24, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring transgender women from placement in federal women’s prisons and suspending gender-transition-related medical treatments for federal inmates, according to The New York Times.
The directive aligns with Trump’s broader agenda to define gender based solely on biological sex at birth.
It also affects transgender immigration detainees, expanding restrictions under his administration.
The Women’s Liberation Front, an advocate for single-sex prisons, praised the decision as a “major victory.”
The group opposes laws allowing transgender inmates to request housing based on gender identity, citing concerns over non-transgender women’s safety.
Critics, however, warn of dire consequences.
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, cautioned that the policy could expose transgender inmates to heightened risks of violence and sexual assault.
Legal experts predict challenges to the order, citing past rulings mandating prisons to safeguard vulnerable inmates and provide necessary medical care, such as hormone therapy.
Approximately 1,500 transgender women, representing 15% of the federal female inmate population, are affected by this policy.
Advocates have vowed to contest the executive order, labeling it an infringement on transgender rights and safety.
