Is This A Casus Belli

The Trump administration is looking for novel ways to rake the trans community over the coals. Now, they are trying to use our own protections against us!

WA’s transgender prisoner policy is target of new federal investigation

The U.S. Department of Justice inquiry follows a lawsuit from a prisoner in the state’s women’s prison who alleged a transgender woman attacked her there.

The Washington State Standard
By: Jake Goldstein-Street

May 19, 2026

The Trump administration on Tuesday launched an investigation into Washington state’s practice of housing transgender women in its women’s prison. 

In a letter to Gov. Bob Ferguson, the U.S. Department of Justice cited allegations that the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor has “failed to protect female prisoners from sexual and physical violence, harassment, voyeurism, and intimidation from male prisoners who identify as female.”

The Justice Department argued this could violate the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Washington’s state constitution also prohibits cruel conditions specifically for prisoners.

A state Department of Corrections spokesperson said the agency was notified of the investigation Tuesday morning and plans to cooperate with the Department of Justice.

“DOC remains committed to upholding the rights and providing a safe environment for all incarcerated individuals in our custody,” spokesperson Chris Wright said.

The women’s prison currently holds 20 transgender prisoners, while there are 347 transgender or non-binary individuals held across all state prisons, Wright said.

As I wrote this morning... the federal government doesn't get to determine gender; the states do!

The inquiry follows a lawsuit filed last month against the state by a woman held at the Gig Harbor women’s prison, alleging a transgender woman physically attacked her. The woman alleged several other transgender women were held at the prison. 

KUOW reported that,

According to a letter from the DOJ's Civil Rights Division to Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson Tuesday, the investigation is based on information that the state “failed to protect female prisoners from sexual and physical violence, harassment, voyeurism, and intimidation” from transgender women within prison facilities.

In late April, a woman in the prison near Gig Harbor and a nonprofit sued the state Department of Corrections after she said she was attacked by a trans inmate. The DOJ's letter does not directly mention the ongoing lawsuit.

“Washington State must protect women inmates from the inherent dangers of incarcerating them with biological men,” Interim U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington said in a press release. “Our Constitution protects the civil rights of every American, including woman who are in prison and forced by the State of Washington to live with male inmates.”

So  my push back... you mean that there were no other assaults in that prison? I don't know the number but I bet it was more than one, so what this attack so special? Go after the real problem, assaults in prison!

What the Republicans are doing is trying to justify overruling a judge.

Federal judge again blocks Trump from moving trans women into men’s prisons

Judge Royce C. Lamberth extended emergency protections after transgender women in federal custody detailed alleged sexual violence and abuse in men’s facilities.

The Advocate

Christopher Wiggins

May 20, 2026

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has again blocked the Trump administration from transferring transgender women in federal custody into men’s prisons, extending emergency protections in a lawsuit that has become one of the country’s most significant legal fights over the treatment of transgender prisoners under President Donald Trump’s second administration.

See! They are trying to use the Washington incident to wave in front of the judge... meanwhile we are getting raped in the men's prisons!

The ruling marks the latest turn in a case that began in January 2025 after three transgender women incarcerated in federal prisons sued the administration over Trump’s executive order mandating that the federal government recognize only sex assigned at birth. The order directed the attorney general to ensure that “males are not detained in women’s prisons” and sought to prohibit federal funding for gender-affirming care in custody.

See! They are trying to wave the Washington incident in front of the judge... meanwhile, we are being raped in men's prisons!

The fact that we are being raped doesn't matter to Trump's cronies; they are only interested in keeping their base riled up. All it will take is one Trump-appointed judge to flip the others!