GEO Stands for Transgender Rights
The Graduate Employee’s Organization (GEO) IFT/AFT Local 6300 AFL-CIO at UIUC strongly condemns the blatant attacks on transgender rights and livelihoods by the United States federal government. GEO stands in solidarity with the transgender and gender diverse people and will fight for their right to freedom of expression, bodily autonomy, and safety!
The Trump administration has made its anti-trans agenda clear from the start. From the Presidential Executive Order ‘Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to The Federal Government’ to the proposed United States HB2378 ‘Defining Male and Female Act of 2025,’ this administration aims to enforce an oppressive sex and gender binary. These actions seek to dismiss and erase transgender, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, and intersex lives by restricting access to gender affirming care, eliminating crucial funding for social resources and research, and attacking everyone’s right to expression.
The violent anti-trans political movement escalated to increasingly dangerous rhetoric and actions in September 2025. We are disgusted by Trump’s condemnation of “transgender insanity” and JD Vance’s framing of transgenderism as a violent and militant extremist movement. Furthermore, we are outraged by the leaked FBI plans to designate transgender people under the domestic terrorist category ‘Nihilist Violent Extremists’ and the Heritage Foundation’s petition for the FBI to create a ‘Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violent Extremism’ designation. The recent National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, which labels hostility against traditional gender views as signals of domestic terrorism, further represents the government’s attack on bodily autonomy and transgender identity.
We deeply oppose the framing of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals as violent extremists. Expert evidence debunks evidence of rising LGBTQ+ or trans extremism, and despite making up less than 2% of the US population, transgender people are four times more likely than cisgender people to experience violent crime. The administration’s baseless, accusatory claims about gender ideology reinforce structures of marginalization and risk inciting further violence against the transgender community.
GEO believes transgender, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, and intersex people deserve ready access to gender affirming care, safety to express themselves, and equitable opportunities to pursue their personal and professional goals free from threats of violence. We stand with the vibrant trans community and are dedicated to fighting for their rights, safety, and well-being. GEO fought to secure nondiscrimination language protecting gender diverse students in our last contract, and as we approach bargaining again in the spring 2026 semester, we are committed to ensuring our campus remains a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ graduate workers.
We are organizing an open house for LGBTQ+ individuals to express their concerns and needs during this period of escalating anti-trans initiatives proliferating governments at the state and federal levels. Please keep an eye out for our open house and email solcomm@uigeo.org if you are interested in helping reform GEO’s LGBTQ+ caucus!
Gender nonconformity has existed for centuries and will continue to exist for centuries. Transgender and gender diverse community-- we see you and will not stand by idly while the Trump administration seeks to erase you!
Solidarity forever!
Graduate Employees’ Organization
809 S. 5th St., Geneva Room Champaign, IL 61820
Email: geo@uigeo.org
Anti-trans legislation trends in the United States from 2015 to 2025.
Findings from a UCLA report on violent crime victimization rates in transgender versus cisgender people.