The massive $1.7 trillion omnibus bill that was made public by federal lawmakers Tuesday includes a $750,000 earmark for a Los Angeles-based transgender Latina group that wants to ‘dismantle’ the U.S. criminal justice system and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and inject ‘transgender history and discourse’ into elementary schools, among other progressive initiatives.
The release of the bill, which spans 4,155 pages, came after negotiations between Senate Republicans and House and Senate Democrats. The sprawling package, which contains $858 billion in defense spending and $772.5 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, has to pass by the end of the week to avoid a partial government shutdown.
The bill, under ‘disclosure of earmarks and congressionally directed spending items,’ directs $750,000 to the TransLatin@ (pronounced ‘trans Latina’) Coalition, which has local chapters in nearly a dozen states, for ‘workforce development programs and supportive services.’
The earmark was requested by Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who sits on the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.
Gomez’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
According to the TransLatin@ Coalition’s ‘#TransPolicyAgenda,’ posted on its website, the group wants to end all construction of detention centers, shut down existing jails and prisons, and decriminalize what it describes as ‘survival crimes,’ like loitering, sleeping outside, panhandling and sex work.
‘In an ideal world, we’d begin by abolishing the police force as it currently exists, however this is not a realistic outcome through policy,’ the group’s agenda states. ‘We approach criminal justice work with an internal abolitionist lens, intending to critique, dismantle and rebuild our criminal justice system with community members in and out of jail and prison.’
The group also wants the U.S. to ‘dismantle’ ICE and completely open its borders to transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex (TGI) individuals, stating that ‘our freedom to access and protections is a divine right.’
‘Migration is not a crime and our policies must reflect this truth,’ the agenda states. ‘TGI communities should be free to migrate without fear of government terrorism, especially when escaping government violence.’
‘To truly reach global trans rights and work toward TGI liberation, we must collectively eliminate the ongoing violence ICE continues to ensue against TGI migrants,’ it continues. ‘ICE has done more harm than good and it must be dismantled.’
The group also wants transgender-specific ‘history and discourse’ to be mandated at the state level for elementary and middle school students. The group argues that while the FAIR Education Act in California mandated the inclusion of LGBTQ people in school curricula, it often leaves out TGI communities.
‘Implementation of the policy began in 2017, and although there is acknowledgement [sic] of two-spirit people history and other Transgender leaders, the majority of curriculum is focused on the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual community,’ the agenda states. ‘Transgender history and discourse must begin in schools and primary education to promote respect and acceptance from early ages.’
The group also wants taxpayer-funded paid medical leave for gender transition surgeries and treatments.
‘Medical leave access in employment is centered around family or pregnancy, which is necessary, but access to medical leave should also extend to address the health needs of TGI people,’ the agenda states. ‘We advocate for policy that expands existing medical leave law to include transition related and gender affirming care and protects employees from being denied medical leave for reasons related to recovery from said surgeries.’
According to its Strategic Plan for 2022-2027, the group is exploring the possibility of dropping the word ‘Latinx’ in favor of ‘Latine’ for Latin transgender individuals.
‘While we recognize the use of the term Latinx in the English language, we are cognizant that does not improve the perception of Trans individuals,’ the plan states. ‘We have been exploring the use of the term Latine, the projection and use it has in the Spanish language. Our board will continue to explore the impact it will have in adopting its use in our organization and potential changes our organization will adopt.’
The TransLatin@ Coalition recently announced that its president and CEO, Bamby Salcedo, joined the transition team for Los Angeles Mayor-elect Karen Bass, whom Gomez endorsed and campaigned with ahead of the November election.
Salcedo was celebrated several times by the Obama White House and joined then-Vice President Joe Biden onstage during a June 2016 ‘United State of Women Summit.’
The group made headlines in October 2018 after members protested the Trump administration’s policies by unfurling a banner that read, ‘Trans People Deserve to Live,’ during Game 5 of the World Series in Los Angeles.
Months after the World Series stunt, Salcedo spoke at the scandal-plagued 2019 Women’s March in Washington, D.C.
The TransLatin@ Coalition did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
