As a transgender man, Tazz Webster was deeply hurt by being taunted with “you’re a girl” when he moved into a subsidized apartment in St. Louis. Despite the repeated harassment, including being called by the wrong name and derogatory remarks like “You’re not a real man!,” Webster felt severely mistreated and judged. He recounted feeling terrorized and reduced in his humanity.
In March 2022, a significant incident occurred when the building manager shoved Webster, leading to a physical altercation. Within four months of that day, Webster found himself without a home. He filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office, which investigates housing discrimination claims. However, Webster’s case was abruptly closed after an extensive two-year investigation, with the office declaring it lacked jurisdiction.
The timing coincided with policy changes under President Donald Trump’s administration, which shifted priorities at the HUD. With Scott Turner as HUD Secretary, the department has focused on dismantling established fair housing protections for transgender individuals, including the rollback of the Obama-era Equal Access Rule. This rule had been pivotal in securing non-discrimination protections for transgender people in housing.
Turner’s administration aims to eliminate what he terms “far-left gender ideology,” stepping back from enforcing transgender protections. This shift challenges the expanded definition of sex discrimination in the Fair Housing Act, which under Obama included sexual orientation and gender identity. The Equal Access Rule had been at the center of shelter policies for transgender people, but new directives may further restrict their access, raising concerns among advocates who fear further erosion of transgender rights.
Webster’s eviction ordeal saw everything he owned destroyed, from essential documents to cherished memories of his deceased mother. Despite having no eviction notice and being current on rental payments, he returned to find his apartment violated and possessions gone. This incident left him homeless, surviving on friends’ kindness while he pursued legal action against the building management for unlawful eviction and emotional distress.
HUD’s recent trend of case closures reflects broader policy shifts, as staff were directed to halt gender identity discrimination investigations. HUD’s reliance on Trump’s executive order, defining sex as biologically static, poses challenges to civil rights advancements for transgender people. Critics like Linda Morris from the ACLU view this as an alarming infringement on transgender individuals’ protections.
Bea Gonzalez, another transgender man in the St. Louis area, experienced similar discrimination when he was expelled from a suburban domestic violence shelter upon revealing his transgender identity. With no local shelters accommodating his needs, the family was left stranded, highlighting systemic gaps in support for transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals.
These case studies illustrate a growing federal trend to diminish transgender recognition, creating uncertainty and apprehension among nonprofits and shelters reliant on HUD guidelines. Organizations now grapple with ambiguous directives that challenge their support frameworks for LGBTQ+ individuals. The need to balance compliance while securing shelter and aid for vulnerable communities like trans individuals has become increasingly complex.
With federal funding guidelines and directives in flux, shelters and advocacy groups must navigate an unstable landscape. Higher mistrust towards official shelters could further marginalize already at-risk LGBTQ+ teens and adults, driving them into more dangerous situations. Speaking from personal experience, Webster vocalizes the stark reality of legalized bias worsening the climate for trans people seeking basic rights and protection.