Lawyers from across the United States are using Twitter to offer pro bono legal advice to transgender people who want to try and have their genders and names legally recognised before the inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump on 20 January. Using the hashtag #TransLawHelp, which launched on Wednesday, lawyers have been adding their names and the states in which they practice to a growing database of free legal assistance which is freely available online for Twitter users. The movement isn’t just limited to lawyers – transgender individuals with legal experience and expertise are also offering to advise people on issues relating to name changes, gender identity documents, healthcare, passport applications and anti-discrimination legislation.

Fear of new obstacles

The movement #TransLawHelp has emerged in response to widespread concern that transgender Americans will likely face weakened anti-discrimination protections and enhanced legal gatekeeping during the coming Trump presidency. Crisis hotline Trans Helpline has received a record number of calls since Tuesday’s election result, while online media has been flooded with unconfirmed reports that at least eight transgender people have committed suicide since the election. While Trump himself largely sidestepped the issue of LGBT rights and protections during his campaign, his running mate and future vice president Mike Pence has confirmed plans to roll back Obama-era legislation that protects against discrimination on the grounds of sexual or gender identity.

Sources: PinkNews; Yahoo News