Statement from President Joe Biden on Transgender Day of Visibility
On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the strength, joy, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know. Transgender Americans deserve to be safe and supported in every community – but today, across our country, MAGA extremists are advancing hundreds of hateful and extreme state laws that target transgender kids and their families. No one should have to be brave just to be themselves.
Let me be clear: These attacks are un-American and must end. The bullying, discrimination, and political attacks that trans kids face have exacerbated our national mental health crisis. More than half of transgender youth say they have seriously considered suicide. Loving parents are terrified for their children’s futures. To help, my Administration is providing dedicated emergency mental health resources: If you’re a transgender young person who needs help, you can call 988 to reach the nationwide suicide prevention and crisis hotline. Press “3” to speak with a counselor specifically trained to support LGBTQI+ youth1.
My Administration will never quit fighting to end discrimination, to stand against these unjust state laws, and to guarantee everyone the fundamental right and freedom to be who they are. We’ll never stop working to create a world where everyone can live without fear; where parents, teachers, and whole communities come together to support kids, no matter how they identify; and every child is surrounded by compassion and love.
I want every member of the trans community to know that we see you. You’re each made in the image of God, and deserve love, dignity, and respect. You make America stronger, and we’re with you.
Biden says efforts to restrict transgender rights ‘close to sinful’
President Joe Biden called efforts to restrict transgender rights in Florida “close to sinful” in an interview released Monday, suggesting federal laws should be passed to protect those rights in all states.
“What’s going on in Florida is, as my mother would say, close to sinful. It’s just terrible what they’re doing,” Biden said during an interview with Kal Penn for “The Daily Show.”
Biden’s comments came as an unprecedented number of measures are introduced in state legislatures this year that are seeking to restrict LGBTQ rights. The proposed bills cover a wide range of policies, including some that seek to restrict transgender people from competing on sports teams or using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
bill
a written suggestion for a new law that is presented to a country’s parliament so that its members can discuss it （提交议会讨论的）议案，法案
to introduce/approve/reject a bill 提出／通过／否决一项议案the Education Reform Bill教育改革法案
Youth and medical care is a growing legislative focus2. Florida will soon enact3 a measure banning gender-affirming medical care for youth, including barring doctors from prescribing puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries for patients under 18. (see: puberty block)
Tennessee passed a law this month banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
Biden didn’t specify which rules he found offensive, but said that efforts to restrict the rights of trans individuals were “cruel.”
“It’s not like a kid wakes up one morning and says, You know, I decided I wanted to become a man or want to become a woman or I want to change. I mean, what are they thinking about here? They’re human beings. They love, they have feelings, they have inclinations,” he said.
“It just, to me, is, I dunno, it’s cruel,” he went on.
“And the way we do it is make sure we pass legislation like we passed on same-sex marriage. You mess with that, you’re breaking the law, and you’re going to be held accountable,” he said.
At least 385 bills targeting LGBTQ rights and queer life have been introduced around the country through March 7, according to data compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union. The number of bills has already surpassed last year’s total of 306, according to ACLU data shared with CNN.
In the interview, Biden also affirmed his support for same-sex marriage, describing an epiphany when he was young after seeing two “well-dressed men” kissing outside an office building in Delaware.
“I’ll never forget – I turned and looked at my dad. He said, ‘Joey, it’s simple. They love each other,’” he said.
Despite the early view into same-sex relationships, Biden still voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 when he was a senator, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
His views on the issue evolved, and in 2012, when he was serving a vice president, Biden delivered an unexpected endorsement of same-sex marriage in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
At the end of last year, Biden signed into law landmark4 new federal protections for same-sex and interracial couples, capping both a personal and national evolution on an issue that’s enjoyed growing acceptance over the past decade.
formal to have sth good that is an advantage to you 享有；享受
People in this country enjoy a high standard of living.
这个国家的人民享有很高的生活水平。
He’s always enjoyed good health.
他一直都很健康。
In the interview, Biden lightly ribbed Penn – an actor who also worked in the Obama White House – for putting off marriage after getting engaged to his partner five years ago.
to cancel a meeting or an arrangement that you have made with sb 取消，撤销（与某人的会晤或安排）
It’s too late to put them off now.
现在已来不及取消与他们的安排了。
“Listen to your auntie and your uncle: get married. Do it now. Don’t wait,” he said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/21/health/gender-affirming-care/index.html
Footnotes
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young people considered as a group ↩
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The focus of something is the main topic or main thing that it is concerned with. ↩
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to put something into action, especially to make something law: ↩
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important and likely to influence future actions or decisions 重要的（有可能影响进一步行动或决定的）a landmark ruling (=an important decision made in a court of law)在法庭上所作的重要判决 ↩