When Ben Carson, Donald Trump’s first housing and urban development secretary, proposed a rule in 2019 allowing single-sex homeless shelters to turn away transgender people, congressional Democrats were furious.
The Biden administration withdrew the Carson proposal — committing instead to follow an Obama-era regulation that banned federally funded facilities from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity — but trans-rights activists are bracing for Trump’s next HUD secretary to try to finish what Carson started. This time though, it’s unclear how much Democrats would push back if the agency takes similar actions.
Republicans successfully made attacks on transgender rights a centerpiece of the 2024 campaign — leaving Democrats largely flat-footed to such an extent they hardly fought back. House Democrats who spoke with NOTUS were split on whether the party should now prioritize the needs of transgender homeless people in the coming Trump administration, given it’s likely the rule will be reintroduced.