Senator Murray was a leading voice in the fight against this ant-trans policy pushed by the Trump Administration
ICYMI: Senator Murray Slams Trump Housing Secretary Carson for Undercutting Transgender Rights – MORE HERE
Seattle, WA – Today U.S. Senator Patty Member (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, praised the Biden Administration for announcing that it will withdraw a proposed Trump-era Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule intended to weaken the existing Equal Access Rule, which allowed federally-funded shelters to deny transgender people access to emergency housing that matched their gender identity.
“Fighting back against this dangerous and discriminatory policy was a priority for me and I’m pleased to see this proposed rule withdrawn. This vehemently anti-trans policy would have put lives at risk, particularly in the midst of a pandemic when access to emergency housing is vital,” said Senator Murray. “Housing saves lives, plain and simple. I’ll continue to work closely with the Biden administration to ensure all people—no matter their gender identity—have access to safe emergency housing when they need it most.”
Senator Murray has been a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in Washington state and across the country and has consistently fought against the previous administration’s efforts to undermine the rights of transgender individuals and stymie efforts to promote equality for LGBTQ+ people across the globe. In 2019, Murray demanded that then HUD Secretary Ben Carson rescind his proposal that would weaken discrimination protections in HUD-funded emergency and temporary homeless shelters for LGBTQ+ Americans, leading more than 30 of her Senate colleagues in opposition to the proposed rulemaking. Murray has strongly protested other Trump administration policies that unfairly targeted transgender students and service members.
Read the full text of Senator Murray’s 2019 letter to Secretary Carson HERE.
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