Comment Submitted by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund)

Summary: MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), a Latino civil rights organization, strongly opposes the proposed rule because it replaces gender identity with biological sex in HUD housing regulations. They argue the rule is arbitrary and capricious, misrepresents research on sexual assault, and could lead to invasive privacy violations and increased risks for marginalized communities, including transgender Latinos.