Jen Psaki fires back at controversy over LGBTQ executive order: ‘Trans rights are human rights’

A White House spokesperson has responded to backlash over Joe Biden's executive order regarding transgender children competing in athletics in schools.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was asked about what message Mr Biden's executive order should send to cis and transgender female athletes.

"The president believes that trans rights are human rights," Ms Psaki responded before referring the reporter to individual institutions for how they'll treat their athletic programs.

The executive order under scruitny, entitled the "Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation", was signed by Mr Biden in January.

It worked to extend a broader application of the Supreme Court Bostock v. Clayton County ruling last year, which mandated that LGBTQ people are protected from sex discrimination in the workplace.

"It is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender without discriminating against that individual based on sex," the justices wrote in their majoirty opinion.

Mr Biden's executive order builds on the Supreme Court's decision by extending protections to students by prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded schools.

"Every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love," Mr Biden's order reads. "Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports."

The executive order does not directly tie federal funds to schools allowing for biological males to compete in female sports and have access to scholarships, according to a White House statement. But it does mandate that all students, including transgender children, should be able to learn without experiencing sexual discrimination, including by participating in "school sports".

Advocates for the LBGTQ community have claimed the executive order will not impede on women's rights by allowing transgender females to participate in sports. But critics have said biological females would be at a disadvantage to transgender females.

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