Community advocates are raising alarms over the treatment and safety of transgender and intersex people incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail, following a new federal directive that weakens protections against sexual violence.
In December, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memo instructing prison inspectors to halt enforcement of certain federal sexual assault prevention policies for transgender and intersex individuals. These policies, previously protected under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), will remain in place only for cisgender inmates. The change follows a recent executive order targeting what the Trump administration calls “gender ideology extremism,” which limits federal recognition to only two sexes and directs agencies to enforce so-called “sex-protective” laws accordingly.
Local advocates warn that this rollback could open the door to increased violence, neglect, and institutional discrimination against trans people in jails and detention centers across the country, including here in Allegheny County.
“Rape shouldn’t be a punishment for anyone,” said Jessie Ulibarri, a member of ACT UP Pittsburgh, during the Jail Oversight Board meeting on Thursday. “We have to ensure that we’re being proactive in countering the bigotry that’s coming down from the federal government.”
ACT UP Pittsburgh, which reformed in 2025 amid growing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and drastic HIV/AIDS funding cuts, is calling on county leaders to take a firm stand. The group is demanding legally binding protections for trans and intersex individuals incarcerated at ACJ, greater transparency in how existing policies are enforced, and meaningful collaboration with LGBTQ+-led community organizations.
“We have to ensure that we’re being proactive in countering the bigotry that’s coming down from the federal government,” said ACT UP member B. Kleymeyer. “Backsliding on enforcement of these protections can only lead to more violence for LGBTQ+ people in our community.”
At Thursday’s board meeting, ACJ Warden Trevor Wingard stated that the jail continues to follow PREA guidelines for all incarcerated people, regardless of gender identity, and that “nothing has changed” in light of the DOJ memo. The jail maintains a “zero-tolerance” policy toward sexual assault and has written policies on the treatment of trans and intersex individuals.
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But local activists say those policies are not always upheld.
In 2017, Jules Williams, a Black transgender woman, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit after she was housed with a male inmate and subjected to repeated assaults. Williams’ case alleged a pattern of trans women being misgendered and improperly housed by ACJ. The county settled in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing, but the case has continued to fuel local scrutiny.
While the jail submits annual PREA-related data to the Department of Justice, ACT UP Pittsburgh is demanding greater local accountability. The group has proposed regular audits, publicly accessible reporting, and a transparent system for tracking sexual assault complaints, with attention to how LGBTQ+ individuals are treated under PREA.
They’re also urging Jail Oversight Board members and Allegheny County Council to go further by enshrining gender-affirming protections in county law, especially as federal safeguards are dismantled.
“To see our community erased and attacked in policy means we need a commensurate public response from our county leadership to say, ‘We will not allow this under our watch’,” Ulibarri said.