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'It hurts': DC transgender community responds to reported plan to change gender identification

"It hurts, it hurts a lot," said Charlotte Clymer who is transgender. She was among those who protested outside the White House Monday afternoon.
Credit: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images
US President Donald Trump talks to the press as leaves the White House by the South lawn and boards Marine One en route to Council Bluffs, Iowa, for a 'Make America Great Again' rally on October 9, 2018 in Washington DC.

WASHINGTON -- From protests at the White House to press conferences, human rights activists responded quickly to a leaked memo and report by the New York Times, claiming the Trump Administration is working to narrowly define a person's gender as only male or female, based on genitalia at birth.

“It hurts, it hurts a lot,” said Charlotte Clymer who is transgender. She was among those who protested outside the White House Monday afternoon.

“I'm a veteran. I pay my taxes. I'm a good citizen. But, the fact is, none of that should matte,” said Clymer.

The Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly clarifying the legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law.

It would wipe out Obama-era regulations, which make it illegal to discriminate against people who change their sexual identity.

Since taking office, the President has sent a series of tweets saying he wanted to keep transgender people from joining or serving in the military.

The Department of Justice said a civil rights law preventing discrimination in the workplace does not apply to those who are transgender.

RELATED: Activists vow transgender Americans #WontBeErased by Trump administration

Public schools are not required to let transgender students use restrooms that correlate with their gender identity.

President Trump has also refused to acknowledge LGBTQ Pride Month.

“We have a lot of different things happening with respect to transgender right now. You know that as well as I do and we're looking at it very seriously,” said President Trump.

The Human Rights Campaign is working to pass uniform, civil rights laws to protect the LGBTQ community.

A Department of Health and Human Services Spokesperson sent WUSA9 the following statement in response to the leaked memo.

“We do not comment on alleged, leaked documents that purport to indicate the status of deliberations or the focus of the department. The Obama administration’s broad definition of ‘sex’ was enjoined by a federal court on a nationwide basis in December 2016 and the Obama administration did not appeal. That court found that the Obama administration regulation was overbroad and inconsistent with the text of the 1972 Title IX law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. The court order remains in full force and effect today and HHS is bound by it as we continue to review the issue. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and HHS’s Office for Civil Rights will continue to vigorously enforce all laws as written and passed by Congress, prohibiting discrimination in healthcare on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, and disability.”

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