PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — In his first few weeks back in the White House, newly implemented policies by President Donald Trump have caused stress on minority groups, including transgender Americans who are now in limbo if they want to apply for or get a new passport with their preferred gender.
The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County says they’ve received more questions and concerns from transgender clients after President Trump’s executive order redefining gender as strictly male or female.
Kimberly Rommel-Enright, an attorney at the Legal Aid Society told WPTV Reporter Victor Jorges that uncertainty is growing, especially when it comes to these legal documents.
WATCH: How the Legal Aid Society of PBC is helping LGBTQ community members who feel negatively impacted by recent policies
She said since the inauguration, legal advocates there have been on high alert, trying to help clients navigate the quick changes.
“A lot of fear,” Rommel-Enright said. “A lot of concern.
She oversees the pro-bono department, and the “clearing house” for most LGBTQ issues that come into that office.
“We’re trying to calm things down,” Rommel-Enright said. “Right after the inauguration, I got a lot of panicked phone calls and emails.”
The biggest challenges for advocates right now to ease that anxiety, keeping up with a fast-moving legal landscape and the lack of information on essential websites.
Shortly after President Trump signed this executive order redefining gender as strictly male or female, information on how to update gender markers on federal documents was removed from the State Department’s website.
“It’s educating myself, trying to educate the clients, but we really have so many more questions than answers right now,” Rommel-Enright said. “The websites were purged of any reference to gender marker changes. The form was changed.”
"The department is no longer issuing u.S. Passports with 'x' markers. The department has suspended processing of all applications seeking a different sex marker than that defined by the terms in the executive order," the State Department sent to WPTV.
The potential reversal of same-sex marriages is also a concern. If the Supreme Court overturns its 2015 ruling on same-sex marriage, the decision would go back to states. Florida statute 741.212, which defines marriage as only between a man and a woman, would immediately take effect.
“That statute is on the books,” Rommel-Enright said. “It remains on the books. It has never been removed”
90 percent of LGBTQ+ Americans said they felt negatively impacted by recent changes in politics, according to research from The Trevor Project, a suicide and crisis prevention group for queer youth. The group also said they got 46% more calls, texts and chats after President Trump’s inauguration.
Rommel-Enright says it’s tough to keep up with all the changes coming from the Trump White House, but she’s committed to answering questions on a day-to-day basis to keep her clients calm.
“Organizations like Compass, like legal aid, we have been here, we will be here, and we can help you,” Rommel-Enright said. “So please, don’t feel alone.”
