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Barack Obama used his final day in the White House to help transgender immigrants

Former president issues memo to allow transgender immigrants to request a change in their gender on official documents 

Friday 27 January 2017 09:44 EST
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Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States
Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States (Getty Images )

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Barack Obama used his final moments in power to help transgender immigrants.

The 44th President issued a memo to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) altering the rules and allowing transgender immigrants to request a change in gender on their official documents.

The memo only applies to legal immigrants and foreign doctors will now be able to provide statements of proof for those who wish to make the alteration.

“Individuals may request a change in the gender reflected on a USCIS-issued document … [and] USCIS will issue an initial or amended document reflecting the changed gender designation,” the memo states.

Mr Obama’s work in his final moments in the Oval office contrast sharply with Donald Trump’s new administration, which has deleted all mention of LGBT rights from the official White House website.

Following his inauguration, Mr Trump took over the official webpage and swiftly removed sections on climate change, women’s rights and LGBT issues.

The website has been re-launched and now has six sections: America First Energy Plan, America First Foreign Policy, Bringing Back Jobs And Growth, Making Our Military Strong Again, Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community, and Trade Deals Working For All Americans.

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