Dem
47
GOP
53
A U.S. transgender woman, Veronica Clifford-Carlos (28), fears for her life in the U.S. as a trans person. She claims she could be persecuted for being trans. She applied for asylum in the Netherlands, claiming that she is not safe in the U.S. The Dutch government's position is that while the situation in the U.S. is concerning, it is not so bad as to justify granting asylum to every trans person who asks for it. The Dutch government has pointed out that trans people have won cases in U.S. courts.
Another point is medical care. Clifford-Carlos has stated that her access to hormones that she needs to continue being a woman (because her body doesn't produce any) could be cut off at any time. The Dutch immigration service said that she didn't provide any proof of that and that asylum can't be granted because some future action could endanger her. She filed suit in a Dutch court in the Hague yesterday. The ruling is expected in a few weeks. (V)