President-elect Joe Biden began his victory speech Saturday night by thanking “the broadest and most diverse coalition in history.”
Biden has acknowledged the unique struggles that transgender people face throughout his campaign, specifically calling out the disproportionately high death rate for transgender women of color. He has promised to reverse President Trump’s policies that threaten the rights of LGBTQ populations.
“I will flat out just change the law, eliminate those executive orders. There should be zero discrimination,” Biden said at a town hall in October, responding to a woman with a transgender child.
The Trump administration has instituted multiple policies that target the transgender community. Trump tweeted in July 2017 that “transgender individuals” would not be permitted “to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military,” reversing an Obama administration policy that allowed transgender military members to serve openly. Some are speculating that Biden could reverse this ban in one of his first executive orders.
More recently, the Trump administration narrowed the definition of sex discrimination in health care, so transgender people are no longer protected against discrimination from doctors, hospitals or insurance companies.
On Saturday night, LGBTQ activists celebrated Biden — and the commitments he has made to their communities. It was powerful just to hear him say the word “transgender,” many said. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first president to say “gay” in a presidential victory address, signaling that gay rights would be a priority throughout his term.
This is the first time a presidential election victory speech has specifically mentioned the word "transgender" and made a commitment to us.
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) November 8, 2020
Joe Biden has got our back.
Hearing Joe Biden recognize the transgender community in his victory speech was very moving for me. It was not forced and he did not hesitate. It might seem small to most but it’s a big deal for all of us trans people hearing that on national television from our new President.
— Sam🏳️⚧️ (Store: OPEN) (@sam_is_crossing) November 8, 2020
The excitement signals just how bad things were for the transgender community under Trump, some said.
Trans Twitter is ecstatic that Biden said the word “transgender”. Just acknowledging we exist feels huge. That tells you a lot about how low our expectations have been these past 4 years.
— morgan (#blacklivesmatter #acab) (@cronym) November 8, 2020
It was just one word that “might seem small to most.”
But tonight, many said, it was exactly what they needed to hear.
