Judge fired after defying Trump’s anti-trans directives speaks out: ‘The point is to stay human’
Donald Trump’s anti-trans executive orders has fostered a space where bills are getting more extreme, experts have argued. (Getty)
Donald Trump's anti-trans executive orders has fostered a space where bills are getting more extreme, experts have argued. (Getty)
A judge who was fired after defying US president Donald Trump’s anti-trans directives has said she’s “seriously” considering running for office.
In an interview with Marie Claire, administrative judge Karen Ortiz opened up about being fired from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) after she opposed an agency directive to deprioritise cases involving gender identity discrimination.
The directive was issued in response to Trump’s executive order that states that the US will only recognise “male” and “female” and these that are “unchangeable”.
A judge resisted Trump’s order on gender identity. The EEOC just fired her https://t.co/BENr6XR9zp pic.twitter.com/rOuByOZbUR
— The Oakland Press (@TheOaklandPress) June 26, 2025
In an email that went viral, Ortiz described the anti-trans measure as “unethical” and “unlawful”.
Following this, the 53-year-old was fired for “unprofessional” conduct, with the EEOC citing internal messages she had sent criticising leadership and warning of a growing “hostile environment” for LGBTQ+ complainants.
In April, a not-for-profit group warned that legislation aimed at the LGBTQ+ community has become more “extreme” and is only getting worse under Donald Trump.
‘I don’t stay quiet when I see harm being done’
Ortiz, who is challenging her termination by pursing her own legal claims of whistleblower retaliation and discrimination, has said she was fired for refusing to stay silent. “I may be an introvert, but I don’t stay quiet when I see harm being done,” she said of her decision to take legal action. She has said she would also like “a public apology from the EEOC for the harm done to trans and non-binary communities—and to me”.
In the interview, Ortiz said that in a second email sent to acting chair Andrea Lucas, she essentially said, “I will not compromise my ethics.” She added: “I knew the risks. But I couldn’t stay silent.”
She notes that although people in her civil rights line of work remained silent, she has received support from the trans and queer communities which has lifted her up. “It’s about all of us,” she said.
‘The point is to stay human’
Ortiz said of maintaining compassion for everyone: “When I say I care about people, even those who are harming others, I mean it. I can want consequences for them and still hold space for their humanity. That’s not weakness. That’s clarity. That’s strength.
“I don’t want to be the kind of person who loses compassion in the fight for justice. The point is to stay human. I don’t regret a thing. Not a single word. I know what I’m doing. And I know why. It’s not about ego. It’s about alignment. I’d rather live on cornflakes and community than keep a job that costs me my soul.”
She also urged other federal workers to stay true to their own values: “Values aren’t meant to be convenient—they’re the truth of your soul. That truth is your North Star.”
Despite the ordeal, she is now “seriously considering running for office, specifically the Senate”.
“I have the experience, the heart and soul of a public servant, and the audacity to throw my hat in the ring,” she added.
The full interview is available to read at Marie Claire.
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