The Kamala Harris campaign’s refusal to engage with mainstream media outlets has led journalists to delve into her past policies and statements. On Monday, CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski revealed that during her failed 2019 presidential bid, Harris supported taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for federal prisoners and detained illegal immigrants, as per a questionnaire she filled out for the ACLU.
In response to whether she would use executive authority to ensure access to comprehensive gender transition treatment for those reliant on state medical care, including inmates and immigration detainees, Harris checked ‘yes,’ elaborating that “transition treatment is a medical necessity.” As Attorney General of California, she had pushed the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to provide such surgeries to inmates.
The 2019 Democratic primary saw candidates vying for more progressive positions, with Harris notably moving further left on some issues. While GovTrack.us rated her as the most liberal senator that year, she continues to advocate for policies supporting the rights of transgender individuals and other marginalized groups. In a section on “fundamental freedoms,” the Harris campaign highlighted her work in promoting the Equality Act, which would enshrine anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQI+ Americans in various sectors such as healthcare and housing. As an original cosponsor of the Equality Act during her tenure as a senator, she pledged to ensure that federal prisoners and detainees can access medically necessary care for gender transitions, including surgical procedures.
While the Harris campaign has not explicitly reaffirmed its position on taxpayer-funded surgeries for transgender inmates, her past comments and policy positions suggest consistency with this stance. Additionally, the pressure from the transgender lobby would likely make any attempt to change this policy challenging, as demonstrated by the Biden-Harris administration’s backpedaling following criticism of their initial position opposing such surgeries for minors.
In her 2019 questionnaire, Harris also promised to provide taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries to detained illegal immigrants, although this commitment has become less relevant with the Biden-Harris administration’s rate of releasing detainees.