President Joe Biden released a statement praising the contributions of transgender people to society and outlining steps his administration has taken to combat transphobic bullying and extremism in anticipation of the upcoming Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV). Members of Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also expressed their support for the transgender community.
Biden stated in his proclamation that transgender Americans are an integral part of the nation, contributing to various sectors such as community service, the military, family-raising, and entrepreneurship. He emphasized their right to the same freedoms and privileges as any other American, including the fundamental freedom to express their true selves.
Biden expressed pride in appointing transgender leaders to his administration and lifting the ban on transgender Americans serving openly in the military. He also highlighted the historic Executive Orders signed to bolster civil rights protections in different areas such as housing, employment, health care, education, and the justice system.
Early in his presidency, Biden issued executive orders that provide protection for transgender students in educational non-discrimination laws and regarding any federal laws pertaining to sex discrimination.
He also highlighted the threat posed by extremists proposing numerous discriminatory laws targeting transgender children and their families, affecting basic American values and freedom.
Biden raised concerns about the increasing bullying and discrimination faced by transgender Americans, which exacerbates the nation’s mental health crisis and leads to a high rate of suicide among transgender youth. He also noted the epidemic of violence against transgender women and girls, especially those of color, stressing that such attacks are un-American and must cease.
Biden mentioned the measures his administration and Department of Justice (DOJ) have taken to safeguard transgender civil rights. The DOJ has submitted a brief in support of trans students participating in sports teams that align with their gender identities. Additionally, his DOJ has alerted states that bans on gender-affirming care are unconstitutional.
He also highlighted the LGBTQ+-specific support offered by the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, stating, “We are enhancing public services to make them more accessible to transgender Americans, including by introducing more inclusive passports and facilitating easier access to Social Security benefits.”
In 2022, Biden included X gender markers on passports for non-binary individuals and adjusted the body scanner machines used by the Transportation Security Administration to eliminate gender in an effort to reduce invasive searches of transgender bodies. That same year, he made it simpler for people who are transgender to officially change their gender with the government department that manages social security.
In his 2024 speech to the nation about how the country is doing, Biden said to transgender Americans, “I support you,” and he urged Congress to approve The Equality Act, a set of laws that would make it illegal to treat people differently based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Biden also made official statements recognizing the TDOV in 2021 and 2023.
Additionally, Biden’s announcement, people who work in his Health and Human Services Department also made statements. Their statements are shown in full below:
Xavier Becerra – HHS Secretary
“Today I am thinking about our country’s great transgender, nonbinary, and two-spirit leaders and trailblazers who represent strength, progress, and happiness. Transgender Day of Visibility is an opportunity to both celebrate their achievements and strengthen our determination to keep making progress.
Medical treatment that supports a person's gender identity can save lives. When people who are transgender go to the doctor, they should get the same care as anyone else. Speak out against unfair treatment, especially when it comes to transgender children. There is no place for people being mistreated because of who they are.
At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we support the LGBTQI+ community in meaningful ways. HHS has reinforced and clarified the rights of our transgender and nonbinary employees in our own workforce and made it clear that HHS is a safe and welcoming place to work.
Our choices to speak out or not in the face of unfairness send a message. It’s up to all of us to teach future generations love, not hate.
Andrea Palm – HHS Deputy Secretary
“Today, on Transgender Day of Visibility, I am proud of the Biden-Harris Administration’s unwavering commitment to the march towards full equality for the LGBTQI+ community.
Here at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, we understand that our work is made better by the variety of our staff. To all the LGBTQI+ scientists, doctors, social workers, researchers, care providers, and colleagues in the health care and human services fields – thank you for making our communities healthier.
Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD – Assistant Secretary for Health
“Today we celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility. Every year on March 31, we honor the transgender Americans, and all that they have achieved. We recognize the many contributions transgender Americans make in health, medicine, public service, and throughout our nation.
At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, our mission is to improve the health and well-being of all Americans, including transgender Americans. From promoting access to high-quality care to addressing health disparities, to creating policies that improve reproductive health care to ensuring transgender youth have access to the 988 program counselors with professionals specially trained to work with them. Achieving health equity is our promise. A promise to all.
On this Transgender Day of Visibility, we must keep making specific and continual efforts to end unfairness, remove the effects of injustice, and improve access to care for everyone.
Today, and every day, I proudly stand with my fellow Transgender Americans to show support and be seen. Happy Transgender Day of Visibility.
Samuel R. Bagenstos – HHS General Counsel
“Transgender individuals have the right to live openly as themselves. On this Transgender Day of Visibility, we confirm that transgender individuals are valued and equal members of our community. I am proud that the Office of the General Counsel has supported HHS’s work to protect against discrimination based on gender identity, to ensure essential health and social services for trans people, and to stand strong against efforts to roll back these basic protections.”
Alison Barkoff – Principal Deputy Administrator, Administration for Community Living
“On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor and amplify the voices of transgender and non-binary individuals in every community, including individuals with disabilities and older adults. At the Administration for Community Living, we are dedicated to promoting person-centered principles that acknowledge the unique identities and strengths of the people served by our programs, and to guaranteeing that no one is denied access to the services and supports they need to thrive in the community because of who they are.”
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure – Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides health care coverage to hundreds of millions of people, including many members of the LGBTQI+ community. Every person we serve deserves health equity – a fair and just opportunity for all of us to attain optimal health. Transgender Day of Visibility highlights the significant progress our country has made in elevating the voices and experiences of trans and non-binary individuals. It’s also a reminder that this work remains ongoing, and CMS continues to strive towards health care coverage as a fundamental right, not a privilege.”
Robert M. Califf, M.D. – Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
“This Transgender Day of Visibility – and every day – we recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of transgender and non-binary individuals. During a time when the human rights of transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive people are under attack, we stand in solidarity with and support the LGBTQI+ community.”
Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH – Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mission is to protect health and improve the lives of every person, in every community, across the country. We know that promoting supportive and inclusive communities and healthcare are crucial to health and wellbeing. On Transgender Day of Visibility we are reminded of the importance of having data, expertise, and investments that support the health of our diverse communities across the country.”
Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D. – Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
“Today and every day we celebrate transgender and gender-expansive people and their voices. We see you, and we lift you up. We also recognize the critical work still to be done. The injustice of disparities in access and discrimination within behavioral health care cannot continue to be part of the American healthcare story. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is unwavering in our commitment to ensuring that transgender people receive the care they need, achieve well-being, and thrive.
Melanie Fontes Rainer – Director, HHS Office for Civil Rights
“Today and every day, we rejoice in the strength, liveliness, and happiness of the transgender community, who represent the core principles of America despite facing high levels of hate and hostility. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) confirms the Biden-Harris Administration’s dedication to fairness, justice, and inclusion for all transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary individuals and firmly states that healthcare is a basic human entitlement that empowers our communities in personal, professional, social, and economic aspects. OCR will make every effort to guarantee that every individual has equal access to health and human services, free from discrimination and irrespective of gender identity or expression.”
Jeff Hild – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
“In the past year, I have met numerous transgender children and their caregivers and parents, as well as transgender parents, and have acted on their suggestions to enhance the programs and services of the Administration for Children and Families in order to better support the health, well-being, and success of transgender individuals and communities. On Transgender Day of Visibility, we want to reaffirm our dedication to listening, standing, and supporting the well-being of all transgender individuals and communities, including unaccompanied refugee children, runaway and homeless youth, foster children, and all children served by our programs.”
Carole Johnson – Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration
“At the Health Resources and Services Administration, we honor the numerous contributions of transgender individuals in communities across the country and recognize the necessity for ongoing endeavors to ensure fair access to crucial healthcare services in light of the persisting inequalities. On this Transgender Day of Visibility, we join with our colleagues across the Department in renewing our commitment to promoting access to high-quality, culturally responsive care, treatment, and social services to support the transgender community.”
Vivek Murthy, MD – U.S. Surgeon General
“As a father, I aspire for every child to grow up feeling loved and understanding how important they are. However, today, too many transgender young people are feeling the opposite. Let’s reassert our dedication to these children and their families on Transgender Day of Visibility.”
Dawn O’Connell – Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
“Transgender Day of Visibility is an important moment to raise awareness and celebrate transgender individuals in the federal government and across the country. It’s also a potent reminder of the significance of fairness in disaster and public health responses, a fundamental principle of ASPR’s work on COVID-19, smallpox, and numerous other crises.”
Loyce Pace, MPH – Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs
“The Office of Global Affairs is proud to work in support of Trans visibility and rights around the world. From the halls of the World Health Organizations in Geneva to capitals around the world, this Administration will not back down from ensuring inequities are eliminated so people everywhere can thrive. It all starts with being seen.”
Karen L. Parker, Ph.D. – Head of Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office at The National Institutes of Health
“Here at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), we know the struggles of transgender people and how violence, discrimination, and erasure adversely affect health within gender diverse communities. Health research often lacks inclusion of these communities and has inaccurate and limited data. On Transgender Day of Visibility, NIH reaffirms its commitment to advancing the knowledge and data collection of transgender individuals in health research, which is much needed.”
Micky Tripathi, Ph.D. – National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
“Everyone, no matter their expressed gender identity, deserves quality health care. That’s why the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is working to support the LGBTQI+ community by standardizing the collection of relevant data elements, such as gender identity, for health care. Better, more accurate data will help us continue to close existing health disparities.”
Roslyn Tso – Director, Indian Health Service
“To honor Transgender Day of Visibility 2024, the Indian Health Service proudly honors and supports our transgender relatives. Native American culture has a long history of recognizing the beauty and contribution of all community members. We are grateful to uphold these traditional principles that make our communities strong. We proudly embrace the diversity within our patients and staff, committed to ensuring equitable access to healthcare for all.
Robert Otto Valdez, Ph.D., M.H.S.A. – Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
“Transgender Day of Visibility is a chance to affirm and support individuals who have too often been forced to hide their identity and face discrimination. At the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, it's crucial to support safe, high-value, quality healthcare for all, regardless of gender and sexuality. This approach allows for the best response to the healthcare needs of all individuals and their loved ones.”
Renee Wegrzyn, Ph.D. – Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
“Transgender individuals often encounter societal stigma and misconceptions. Transgender Day of Visibility promotes visibility, acceptance, and equality, challenges stereotypes, advocates for rights, and fosters a more inclusive society. It also encourages allies to show support and stand up against discrimination, creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for transgender individuals. At the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, we are committed to ensuring everyone is seen, valued, and supported. We stand in solidarity with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals as we work to accelerate better health outcomes for all.”
