Vice President Kamala Harris has shown support for funding gender transition surgeries for transgender inmates. In 2019, an ACLU questionnaire revealed her stance on providing such surgeries to illegal immigrants or migrants held in federal custody.
Harris checked ‘yes’ in response to whether she would offer government-funded care for ‘transgender and nonbinary people’ including ‘those in prison and immigration detention.’
Detailed Support for Transgender Health Needs
In her responses, Harris emphasized the necessity of proper treatment for transgender individuals under state care.
She said, “It is important that transgender individuals who rely on the state for care receive the treatment they need, which includes access to treatment associated with gender transition.”
Medical Necessity of Transition Treatments
Harris highlighted the importance of transition treatments, describing them as a medical necessity.
She committed to ensuring federal agencies responsible for providing essential medical care include transition treatments. “Transition treatment is a medical necessity, and I will direct all federal agencies responsible for providing essential medical care to deliver transition treatment,” she wrote.
Reversal of Previous Stance as California Attorney General
Harris’ perspective on transgender inmate rights has evolved.
Initially, as California Attorney General, she opposed a court ruling that mandated sex reassignment surgery for an inmate, a stance that was overturned when the court ruled the state must provide the surgery.
Advocacy for Transgender Inmate Rights
Later in her career, Harris stated she facilitated policy changes to support transgender inmates.
At an LGBT forum during the 2020 Democratic primary, she claimed, “When I learned about what they were doing, behind the scenes, I got them to change the policy.”
Public Acknowledgment of Gender Pronouns
In a move to embrace transgender sensitivities, Harris has publicly shared her gender pronouns, becoming the first vice president of the United States to do so at events where transgender individuals were present.
This act underlines her support for the transgender community.
Campaign Efforts for Transgender Inclusion
The Harris campaign demonstrated its commitment to transgender inclusion by offering multiple gender options in their application process.
Nine different choices for gender identification were provided to ensure inclusivity and respect for diverse identities.
Proposing Cuts to ICE Funding
Beyond transgender rights, Harris has also focused on immigration reforms, specifically advocating for cuts in funding to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Her strong stance against the current immigration detention practices was evident in her responses to the ACLU questionnaire.
Criticism of Immigrant Detention Practices
Harris has been vocal about the issues within the immigrant detention system, describing it as “out of control” and advocating for the cessation of the incarceration of thousands, including individuals, families, and children.
“Our immigrant detention system is out of control, and I believe we must end the unfair incarceration of thousands of individuals, families and children,” she wrote.
Early Opposition to Enhanced ICE Funding
Shortly after President Trump’s election, Harris was one of the first senators to call for a decrease in funding to ICE.
She positioned herself as a leading advocate for reformed immigration enforcement policies.
Reimagining ICE
During her 2016 presidential campaign, Kamala Harris spoke with MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt about fundamentally rethinking the role of ICE.
She highlighted the need for a critical evaluation and potentially starting from scratch, saying, “I think there’s no question that we’ve got to critically re-examine ICE and its role and the way that it is being administered and the work it is doing.”
Harris’ Progressive Policies on Gender and Immigration
Harris has repeatedly supported gender reassignment surgeries and rethought immigration enforcement.
She has consistently positioned herself as a progressive leader.
