President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday stating that the federal government would only recognize two genders: male and female. KJZZ News talked to one LGBTQ+ Phoenix-area community leader about what it could mean.
In the order, Trump claims his aim is to protect women from, quote, “gender ideology and extremism.”
"This reads like a horror show, and I'm still really confused how the president of the United States is issuing this kind of edict. I also, as a cis woman, really hate the idea that this is being done to quote-unquote, protect me,'" said Jessyca Leach, the CEO for Prisma Community Care, which provides health care to the queer community.
Trump’s order also directs government documents, like passports and visas, to reject gender identity, and instead reflect an individual’s biological classification at birth. That language scares Leach.
"If you identify as a trans man, and you are assigned female at birth, you can have your gender marker changed on your birth certificate and on your driver's license," Leach said.
She also worries about the medical ramifications of this order, which states that sexes are not changeable.
"Trans people exist across all spectrum of ages, too, right? And so if you've got someone who's over 65 and they're on Medicare and they're depending on Medicare for gender-affirming care, that could potentially go away," Leach said.