BENGALURU: In an open letter, transgender activist Dr Akkai Padmashali has called out US President Donald Trump for his administration policies that the activist says are erasing, delegitimising and endangering the lives of transgender and non-binary people.
Writing from Bengaluru, Akkai accused Trump of carrying out a “shocking assault” on the fundamental rights of transgender individuals, warning that his actions not only harm people in the US but set a dangerous precedent for governments across the world.
“We refused to be erased,” Akkai wrote, calling Trump’s policies an “attack on human dignity and a betrayal of the very principles of democracy that the US once represented”. “History will not be kind to you,” she said, highlighting that no executive order can erase the identity or existence of transgender people.
The letter, co-signed by gender rights activists, including Rakshitha Mallikarjuna and Abeda Begum, condemned Trump’s decision to define sex narrowly as male or female based on biological sex at birth.
The move, they argue, ignores decades of scientific, medical, and sociological research and disregards the lived realities of millions. “This is not just a bureaucratic change—it is an attack on our dignity, our rights, and our legal protections,” the letter said.
Akkai also criticised Trump’s order prohibiting federal agencies from recognising gender identity in official documents. “You claim to be protecting ‘biological reality,’ but in truth, you are putting lives at risk,” she wrote, highlighting how such policies make transgender individuals more vulnerable to discrimination in healthcare, employment, and everyday life.
The activists strongly opposed Trump’s ban on transgender women in sports and the reversal of Title IX protections.
One of the most devastating policies, according to the activists, is the administration’s move to block federal funding for gender-affirming healthcare. Akkai called it a “heartless” decision that ignores the reality that such medical care is lifesaving.
The letter also condemned Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.
Further, the activists slammed the administration for eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programmes from federal agencies, arguing that such initiatives are essential in correcting historic injustices.