Secretary Scott Turner Halts Enforcement Actions of HUD’s Gender Identity Rule

This post was originally published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

WASHINGTON – Secretary Turner issued an order directing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to halt any pending or future enforcement actions related to HUD’s 2016 rule entitled “Equal Access in Accordance With an Individual’s Gender Identity in Community Planning and Development Programs.” Secretary Turner’s action will ensure housing programs, shelters and other HUD-funded providers offer services to Americans based on their sex at birth: male or female.

“I am directing HUD staff to halt any pending or future enforcement actions related to HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which, in essence, tied housing programs, shelters and other facilities funded by HUD to far-left gender ideology,” said Secretary Turner.

“We, at this agency, are carrying out the mission laid out by President Trump on January 20th when he signed an executive order to restore biological truth to the federal government. This means recognizing there are only two sexes: male and female. It means getting government out of the way of what the Lord established from the beginning when he created man in His own image.

“Moreover, this is just the first of many examples of how, starting on day one, HUD is going back to work for the American people and being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. There will be more where this came from.

“As I have said before, we are going to take inventory of HUD’s programs and ensure every dollar that goes out the door is advancing HUD’s mission, which is to provide quality, affordable homes for communities across the country – urban, rural and tribal –and promote economic investment to build stronger communities and a brighter future for all Americans.”

The Equal Access Rule was published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2012. The 2012 rule prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status.

Secretary Turner’s directive stops enforcement of the 2016 rule which, in effect, allowed individuals to self-identify their gender without regard to their biological sex. In addition, the 2016 rule limited the rights and abilities of HUD-funded establishments, including shelters, from challenging an individual’s self-identification, allowing biological men to enter shelters intended for women impacted by trauma, domestic abuse and violence.