Civil rights advocates on Wednesday applauded President Joe Biden for signing an executive order on his first day in office bolstering anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people after years of attacks and rollbacks during the Trump administration, and for signaling that he will move to reverse his predecessor's ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military.
"Every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love," the order begins.
The order continues:
Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports. Adults should be able to earn a living and pursue a vocation knowing that they will not be fired, demoted, or mistreated because of whom they go home to or because how they dress does not conform to sex-based stereotypes. People should be able to access healthcare and secure a roof over their heads without being subjected to sex discrimination. All persons should receive equal treatment under the law, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation.
"It is the policy of my administration to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, and to fully enforce Title VII and other laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation," the order states. It goes on to direct the heads of each federal agency to ensure adherence to these principles and to develop plans to implement changes where necessary.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) hailed Biden's order as "the most substantive, wide-ranging executive order concerning sexual orientation and gender identity" in U.S. history.
HRC president Alphonso David issued a statement declaring that "today, millions of Americans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their president and their government believe discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is not only intolerable but illegal."
Biden's order gives teeth to Bostock v. Clayton County, the June 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling which declared that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The executive order also stands in stark contrast to the past four years, a period during which LGBTQ people saw their rights repeatedly eroded and, in the case of transgender people, their very existence as human beings challenged.
Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement that "on his very first day in office, President Biden is stating clearly that there is no place for discrimination in the federal government."
"Bostock v. Clayton County was a major victory for LGBTQ Americans," added Keisling. "Today's executive order moves us another step toward a day when transgender people can openly live as who they are without being targeted for discrimination."
In one particularly egregious rights rollback, the Trump administration banned transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden will soon turn the page on this dark chapter in civil rights history. Ending the trans ban, said Psaki, will be among the "additional executive actions" the president will take "in the coming days and weeks."
Blake Dremann, a transgender rights advocate and active-duty Navy lieutenant commander, told NBC News that trans people are "excited for the ban to be lifted" and the day when "we never have to tell another service member that being their authentic selves is a barrier to serving their nation."
"The resilience and success of trans service members has shown we are committed to the success of the nation," said Dremann.
