President Joe Biden’s tenure began with strong promises to protect transgender Americans from growing conservative efforts to restrict their rights. His repeated assurances, such as “Your president has your back,” symbolized a commitment to advancing equality amid escalating political hostility. However, as Biden’s presidency draws to a close and Donald Trump prepares to reclaim office, many in the transgender community feel abandoned and unprotected, facing an uncertain future under an administration openly hostile to their rights.
Biden’s administration achieved significant milestones for transgender rights, including reversing the Trump-era ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, appointing trans leaders to key government positions, and introducing an “X” gender marker on passports. Yet, Biden also abandoned key measures in his final weeks, such as protections for transgender student-athletes under Title IX and provisions safeguarding gender-affirming healthcare for children of military families. These decisions, viewed as political calculations, have left advocates disheartened and questioning the depth of Biden’s commitment.
The administration’s reluctance to finalize critical protections for transgender Americans may stem from electoral concerns. Republicans effectively leveraged transgender rights as a wedge issue during the campaign, portraying Democrats as out of touch with mainstream voters. Trump’s promise to reintroduce strict binary definitions of gender and enforce restrictive executive orders underscores the looming challenges for transgender rights under his leadership. Biden’s missed opportunities to cement long-lasting protections now leave the transgender community vulnerable to swift policy reversals.
While the Biden administration took commendable legal actions against state bans on gender-affirming care, its broader inaction on key policies remains a glaring omission. The stalled Title IX regulations and Biden’s approval of a defense bill containing anti-trans provisions are seen by activists as significant failures. Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, noted that this defense bill marks the first federal law targeting LGBTQ rights since the 1990s—a painful regression for a community already under siege.
The political landscape ahead looks fraught for transgender Americans, with state-level restrictions multiplying and a federal government poised to dismantle existing protections. Biden’s legacy on transgender rights remains a complex narrative—one marked by historic achievements but also by last-minute retreats that leave his promises hanging unfulfilled. For many transgender Americans, the Biden presidency represents both hope and heartbreak, a reminder of progress made and the peril of complacency in the face of rising authoritarian threats.