By Bonke Sonjani and Mogau Makitla
In commemoration of National Human Rights Day- which took place on the 21st of March 2025, Iranti hosted a panel discussion on How the Trump Administration Affects Trans and Intersex People. We were joined by civil society organisations such as Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), Parents, Families and Friends of South African Queers (PFSAQ) as well as activists who do work within the LGBTQI+ advocacy work in South Africa. This took place at Constitution Hill, a national heritage site that commemorates South Africa’s difficult past of apartheid and now bears home to the country’s Constitutional Court.
Attendees at the panel discussion held at Constitution Hill, South Africa
The panel discussion explored how policies within the global north impacted those in the south- with a focus on the Trump Administration. President Donald Trump has long pushed the notion of a ‘two gender’ system whilst simultaneously propagating harmful notions against transgender and gender-diverse people. On the 20th of January 2025, he signed in the executive order titled ‘Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government’ which aims to end the recognition of transgender and gender-diverse people within the United States – calling for everyone to recognized as the gender assigned at birth. The executive order has reversed inclusive, progressive policies for transgender people –including the retraction of policies of allowing for ‘X’ to be used as a neutral gender marker, in place of ‘F’ or ‘M’.
The retraction of US foreign aid under an executive order titled Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid resulted in a halt of essential funding such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), as well as United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This has resulted in the closure of essential programs, many of which provided HIV/AIDS prevention and management programs, as well as gender-affirming care.
Panelists discussing the impact of Trump’s Administration on the global south
The panel discussion provided an opportunity for South African-based organizations to discuss the impact of Trump’s Administration on the accessibility of the aforementioned services, as well as in their local communities especially within the context of the growth of the anti-gender and anti-LGBTQI movements. Panelists and participants highlighted the importance of collective mobilization against these regressive movements, emphasizing the importance of solidarity in pushing back against harmful rhetorics.
Watch a recording of the panel discussion here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHdrXnQCJ3a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==