Jayapal, Markey Introduce Landmark Trans Bill of Rights

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Representatives Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and Mark Takano (CA-41) are reintroducing the Transgender Bill of Rights amidst ongoing attacks on the trans community. This resolution encourages the federal government to take concrete measures to advance protections for transgender and nonbinary people, ensuring all Americans can live authentically and with dignity, no matter their gender identity or expression.

“The trans community continues to be targeted and scapegoated by hateful legislation and politicians. This cruelty must stop,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Co-Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force. “Today, I’m reintroducing the Trans Bill of Rights to unequivocally say that trans lives matter and that every person deserves to live free from prejudice and discrimination. Our bill honors the resilience of the trans community, and lays out a clear vision for what Congress must do to ensure every trans and gender non-conforming person is treated with dignity and respect.”

“Trans rights are human rights. We must ensure that every trans and gender diverse person in America can live freely, safely, and authentically. That’s what the Transgender Bill of Rights is all about,” said Senator Markey. “I am proud to partner with Representatives Jayapal, Takano, and Jacobs, and with advocates from across the country to reject hate and reaffirm that trans people have a right to gender-affirming health care, to accurate identity documents, and to fully participate in school, in work, and in public life—just like anyone else. This is about who we are as a country: whether freedom belongs to all of us or only to some of us. We must choose freedom and justice for all.”

“Whether it’s pushing trans sports bans or blocking access to health care, the Trump administration continues to attack the trans community and threaten their basic human rights,” said Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs,  Co-Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force. “We need protections for the transgender and non-binary communities at the federal level, because no one should live in fear of being who they are. I’m so proud to co-lead the Transgender Bill of Rights as proof of our commitment to protect the health, safety, and well-being of trans people in this country. To the trans community: we see you, and we will not stop until you can live freely and authentically.” 

“For years, right-wing politicians at every level of government have been relentless attacking the transgender community’s rights and dignity. Even in the face of these cruel attacks, our transgender siblings are still standing tall,” said Rep. Mark Takano, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “The Transgender Bill of Rights is both a clear reminder to every trans person in the United States that we stand with them and a commitment to the work still left to do in order to build a safer, more loving, and more equal nation. As Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, I’m proud to stand beside our Transgender Equality Task Force Co-Chairs, Congresswomen Jayapal and Jacobs, as well as Senator Markey, in introducing this resolution.” 

In 2025 alone, there were 1,022 bills proposed across the country that target the rights of trans and gender non-conforming individuals, including bills that would jeopardize the health and safety of trans and LGBTQ+ youth. Anti-trans laws aimed at minors have been linked with increases in suicide attempts by trans and gender nonconforming teenagers, and coincide with the Trump Administration’s cuts to suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth. These laws also target an already vulnerable community, as trans people are four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crimes.

The Trans Bill of Rights calls on the federal government to provide protections for transgender and nonbinary people by:

• Ensuring that transgender and nonbinary people have equal access to services and public accommodations by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly include gender identity and sex characteristics as protected characteristics and amending federal education laws to explicitly clarify that they protect students from discrimination based on gender identity and sex characteristics.
• Ensuring transgender and nonbinary people have the ability to provide for themselves and their families by codifying Bostock and clarifying that it is illegal to discriminate in employment, housing, and credit based on gender identity and sex characteristics.
• Ensuring every child is protected from discrimination based on their gender identity by ensuring the rights of students from participating in all areas of school life, including classes, athletics, and access to facilities. 
• Recognizing the right to bodily autonomy and ethical healthcare by expanding access to gender-affirming medical care, codifying the right to abortion and contraception, protecting transgender people from discrimination in healthcare, and banning forced surgery on intersex children and infants in violation of ethical standards of care.
• Promoting the safety of trans and nonbinary people by investing in community services to prevent violence against trans and nonbinary people and expanding services for survivors, investing in mental health services designed for transgender and nonbinary people, and banning so-called “conversion therapy” practices.
• Enforcing the civil rights of transgender people by requiring the Attorney General to designate a liaison within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice dedicated to advising and overseeing the enforcement of the civil rights of transgender people.

This legislation is also cosponsored by Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY09), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), William Keating (MA-09), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), John B. Larson (CT-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Ted W. Lieu  (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ10), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley  (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. Sanchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Ann Stansbury (NM-01), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia M. Velázquez  (NY-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

Issues: Civil Rights, LGBTQIA+ Rights