MAZON Statements

Los Angeles, CA (October 26, 2018)—Last week, reports were released of the Trump Administration’s plan to remove the rights of transgender people by narrowing the definition of gender to male or female at birth without the ability to change legal identification later in life. This move represents an extreme attack on millions of transgender people, threatening to override existing anti-discrimination protections and setting a dangerous precedent.

MAZON joins with transgender rights organizations and other allied organizations across the country in deploring this action, which would have especially catastrophic consequences for food insecure transgender seniors. Narrowly redefining gender would create irreparable barriers to accessing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for transgender individuals, as they would now lack proper identification that reflects their actual gender identity, as required for SNAP enrollment.

President Trump wrongfully claims that redefining gender as male or female based on genitalia at birth is to “protect our country,” when it in fact does just the opposite. Transgender people, especially transgender seniors, experience much higher levels of food insecurity, poverty, and discrimination in the workforce, housing, and health care, and they too have every right to access the programs designed to protect them in times of need.

This attack against transgender people goes against MAZON’s core value; that of b’tselem Elohim: “We are all made in God’s image.” We stand with the transgender community, who deserves dignity, respect and visibility. They will not be erased.