ACLU lawyer and transgender rights activist Chase Strangio stirred controversy Tuesday during an appearance on the left-wing digital news show Democracy Now!, where he referred to biological women as “non-transgender women” while criticizing President Donald Trump’s executive order on sex and gender.
Strangio, a transgender man, expressed concern over the executive order, which clarifies the U.S. government’s stance on recognizing only two biological sexes, male and female.
Strangio appeared on the show to slam Trump’s executive order, titled “Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.”
The order asserts that biological men and women are distinct and mandates that agencies follow these directives.
One key provision of the order requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to create policies protecting women seeking single-sex spaces, such as rape shelters, from being forced to share spaces with individuals of the opposite biological sex.
Strangio objected to this part of the executive order, claiming that it could “exclude trans people from various forms of shelter” under the assumption that transgender individuals pose an inherent threat to “non-transgender women.”
He further argued that the executive order “enhances the risk that transgender people face in society” by treating them as a threat simply because of their existence in certain spaces.
Strangio’s comment referring to biological women as “non-transgender women” sparked a reaction online, with many critics questioning the terminology.
Conservative social media accounts shared clips of Strangio’s remarks, with one prominent account, End Wokeness, highlighting the moment with the caption, “ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio is panicking that Trump banned men from ‘non-trans women’ (women) locker rooms.”
Conservative commentator Paul Szypula also weighed in, criticizing Strangio’s remarks in a post on X. Szypula described Strangio as a “woman pretending to be a man” and mocked the idea that biological women should be referred to as “non-transgender women.” He added, “Chase can whine all she wants. That doesn’t change the fact that she has XX chromosomes and is a woman. So either she stays out of men’s bathrooms, or she goes to a women’s jail.”
Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, also commented on Strangio’s terminology, writing, “NEW: Transgender ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio refers to biological women as ‘non-transgender women’ while losing it over Trump’s new executive orders. This voice catches me off guard every time.” Rugg quipped, “Life hack: You can save some time by simply referring to them as ‘women.’”
Strangio’s comments reflect the ongoing debate over gender identity and the rights of transgender individuals in the context of biological sex, particularly in spaces like shelters and bathrooms.
Critics argue that policies supporting single-sex facilities are essential for protecting the rights and safety of biological women, while others like Strangio view such policies as discriminatory toward transgender people.
The debate continues to gain traction as more states and government entities grapple with how to balance transgender rights with protections for women and other groups.
