Transgender inmates being housed in Minnesota’s only women’s prison are raising concerns among incarcerated women who report feeling scared and traumatized. This situation arose after Governor Tim Walz approved a policy that allows transgender inmates to be housed according to their gender identity. The policy was implemented after a legal settlement with a left-wing advocacy group that cost taxpayers nearly $500,000.
Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, has sparked controversy by removing all references to ‘women’ from a bill focused on health insurance enrollment periods for pregnant women. The bill, which has been introduced multiple times since 2015, originally included numerous mentions of ‘women’ and ‘maternity,’ but in its most recent iteration, it only uses the terms ‘pregnant person’ and ‘pregnant individual.’ This decision comes amid a national debate on gender identity and has led to accusations that Brown is erasing biological women and their unique abilities.
Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting won her first Olympic medal at the Paris Games, advancing to the semifinals and guaranteeing at least a bronze. Her victory comes after she and fellow boxer Imane Khelif faced scrutiny and online abuse due to their participation amidst a debate over gender identity and sports regulations.
The UN Human Rights Council adopted several resolutions on women and gender rights despite opposition from Russia and other countries seeking to remove references to reproductive rights, sexual orientation, and gender identity. This clash highlights growing tensions between Western countries and conservative states over women’s rights, with the council rejecting numerous amendments aimed at watering down the language of the resolutions.
The Arkansas Supreme Court has reinstated a state law banning the use of ‘X’ as a gender identification option on state IDs, reversing a lower court ruling that had blocked the law. The decision eliminates the option for residents to choose a neutral gender marker, drawing criticism from the ACLU of Arkansas, which argued the rule would harm transgender and non-binary individuals.
A recent Pew Research Center survey found significant divisions between supporters of President Biden and former President Trump on topics characterized as “culture war” or “woke” issues. These include views on gender identity, the criminal justice system, and illegal immigration.
– Gender Identity: A vast majority (90%) of Trump supporters believe gender is determined by sex assigned at birth, while only 39% of Biden supporters share this view. Conversely, 60% of Biden supporters believe gender can differ from birth-assigned sex, compared to just 9% of Trump supporters.
– Criminal Justice: 81% of Trump supporters believe the criminal justice system is not tough enough, while only 40% of Biden supporters hold this view.
– Illegal Immigration: 63% of Trump supporters support national efforts to deport undocumented migrants, compared to 11% of Biden supporters.
– Legacy of Slavery: Only 27% of Trump supporters believe the legacy of slavery still affects the position of Black people in the US, while 79% of Biden supporters believe it continues to have an impact.
Despite these divisions, there are some areas of agreement between the two groups, such as the belief that increased artificial intelligence use in daily life is detrimental (59% of Trump supporters, 51% of Biden supporters) and that open discussions about mental health are beneficial (94% of Biden supporters, 79% of Trump supporters).
Numerous red states are challenging the Biden administration’s Title IX changes that redefine sex and expand the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity. Conservative lawmakers argue that these changes gut parental rights, put children at risk, and undermine the rule of law. The states filing suit include Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Montana, Tennessee, West Virginia, Louisiana, Indiana, South Carolina, Idaho, Iowa, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
