A proposed Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule would allow federally funded homeless shelters to judge a person’s physical characteristics, such as height and facial hair, in determining whether they belong in a women’s or men’s shelter, according to a leaked copy of the rule’s text obtained by Vox.
LGBTQ advocates warn this rule ultimately targets both transgender women and cisgender women with masculine features, which could force them into men’s shelters and put them at risk for harm.
Earlier this month, the HUD announced that it would be rolling back former President Obama’s Equal Access Rule, which required homeless shelters that receive federal funding to house transgender people with the gender they identify as.