Worried about a rollback of LGBT rights under the new administration, activists are encouraging transgender people to rush to change their names and genders before Trump takes office.
The LGBT activists have started a hashtag, now trending on Twitter, #TransLawHelp, which encourages transgender people to get their legal documents in order. The idea is that transgender people should try to change name and gender marks in their passports before Trump is sworn in as president on January 20, 2017.
Lawyers have been responding to the calls for pro-bono services on Twitter via the hashtag.
If you're a lawyer willing to offer pro-bono services for trans ppl to get their docs now, please use the HT #TransLawHelp. #Election2016
— Cishet Gay Squad (@dtwps) November 9, 2016
to my trans friends who are looking to get legal name changes/gender changes/etc ASAP, follow the hashtag #translawhelp
— cameron (@canonica666) November 9, 2016
Western PA attorney willing to help. #TransLawHelp https://t.co/gelVJQGVsD
— Gabriel E. Laborde (@g_laborde) November 9, 2016
I'm a lawyer in Massachusetts & if you need help I'll help you navigate name changes & ID docs in MA. #TransLawHelp
— mattbc (@mattbc) November 9, 2016
If you're around Austin, UT Law students are working on this. Wait is long, but we're here for you. #translawhelp https://t.co/7Qak11WgtJ https://t.co/3HMNFySmAm
— Douglas Cornfield (@CritDoug) November 9, 2016
While Trump hasn’t detailed what his LGBT policies would look like, the activists fear that he might cancel President Obama’s executive order banning anti LGBT workplace discrimination, and roll back the transgender bathroom regulation, which encourages school to let trans people use any bathroom they want.
Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s track record on LGBT issues also worries the activists. While a member of Congress, he opposed gay marriage, voted against employment nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, and advocated for “conversion therapy”—the controversial practice that seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation.