AFT leaders criticize Supreme Court decision on transgender passport policy

A group of leaders from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), including President Randi Weingarten and Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus, have issued a statement responding to a recent Supreme Court emergency order. The order allows the Trump administration to require transgender Americans to use their sex assigned at birth, rather than their gender identity, on passports.

The statement was also signed by Jeff Freitas, co-chair of the AFT’s LGBTQIA+ Task Force and president of the California Federation of Teachers, as well as J. Philippe Abraham, secretary-treasurer of New York State United Teachers.

In their joint response, the AFT leaders said: “The Supreme Court’s emergency order allows the Trump administration to once again trample on Americans’ civil rights. This ruling represents a serious violation—not only of identity and self-expression but of the safety of millions of transgender Americans, who could be harassed or even jailed in many countries around the globe for being who they are. In case after case, this court has enabled this administration to inflict its cruel, extreme agenda on the most vulnerable without credible justification. Americans should be allowed to live safely and with dignity, without fearing that their government will put them at risk.”

The policy change affects how transgender individuals can identify themselves on official travel documents and raises concerns about personal safety when traveling internationally.