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The Equal Access Rule is a series of regulations that ensure services funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development do not deny individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

This critical legislation has saved countless lives, and we are fighting for it to continue to do so. Secretary Scott Turner recently instructed the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to cease enforcement of the 2016 Equal Access Rule. This threatens the fundamental safety and dignity of transgender people seeking shelter across the United States.

During Trump’s first term, his Administration last tried to gut protections for gender-expansive people accessing emergency shelters and other housing and homelessness resources. Collectively, more than 66,000 public comments were submitted — making it the biggest comment campaign on a HUD regulation. Our community knows how to fight back!

Today, Trump is threatening the Equal Access Rule yet again, and we need to re-build this coalition to protect everyone’s equal access to housing and services. As a first step, we need stories to demonstrate the vital importance of these protections so we can humanize the impacts of this critical federal protection. Take a moment to read about Kayla from my Sistah’s house here and here to see examples of how we are using our community’s stories to support this work.

And if the Equal Access Rule has personal importance to you, we want to hear from you! If you or someone you know has faced barriers accessing shelter and/or housing resources because of their gender identity, sexual orientation, or marital status — or has benefited from more equal access to housing and services — please fill out this questionnaire. We welcome providers to share their stories as well!

Note: Your response to this survey is confidential, you have the option to remain completely anonymous, and you may revoke your consent at any time.

Your story matters. Thank you for joining us in this fight.