Trump's attempts to dismantle DEI and transgender rights challenged in new lawsuit
Washington DC - Civil and human rights organizations are taking legal action over three of Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and gender discrimination protections.
The NAACP's Legal Defense Fund and Lambda Legal on Wednesday filed a new lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of the National Urban League, National Fair Housing Alliance, and AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
The Trump orders in question seek to terminate equity-related grants and block federally funded entities from implementing DEI programs and recognizing the existence of transgender people.
The complaint argues that the orders are intentionally discriminatory and violate the organizations' rights to free speech and due process, ultimately imperiling their very ability to exist.
Allowing the orders to go through would endanger critical social and health services for already marginalized groups, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and people living with HIV, the organizations warn in the suit.
John Peller, president and CEO of the AIDS Foundation Chicago, said in a press release, "We cannot end the HIV epidemic without working to address health disparities for Black, Latino, LGBTQ+ people, and transgender women. We must be able to prioritize these populations in our work – whether that’s through outreach, engagement initiatives, staff training, or resources – because they are disproportionately impacted by HIV."
"These executive orders would prohibit us from doing that critical and lifesaving work, putting our clients’ and the broader community’s health at risk," Peller added.
A program participant named Will said, "As a Black man living with HIV who has experienced homelessness, for years, I have relied on the lifesaving services of organizations like AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC), who understood my intersectional identities."
"Now, as I work in the HIV field, I am deeply concerned about the threat these orders represent to AFC’s ability to serve our communities if they can’t even name the issues our people are facing."
Cover photo: REUTERS