New HHS Policy to Allow Discrimination

Ironically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will cease the protections for LGBTQ members in their health services. This will allow people to essentially discriminate against others based on their sexual orientations and gender identities.

With millions of queer folks benefitting from the healthcare services of HHS, the allowance to discriminate may put in jeopardy the health of our community. The HHS has programs in HIV treatment and services to assist homeless people.

The HHS has already set a policy that allows transgender patients to be treated if a healthcare workers oppose them due to religious reasons. According to the Human Rights Campaign, one in 30 of our nation’s queer youth have experienced homelessness. Fifteen percent of gay and bisexual men have reported mistreated from a healthcare professional based on their sexual orientations. Sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in the healthcare realm is still a relevant issue to address. Now, with the HHS policy to allow denial of assistance for queer people in action since last Friday, the numbers are sure to increase.

With healthcare already being difficult to attain and with over a million people living with HIV in our country, the HHS new policy will make it so treatment will subside and fear will increase.

BREAKING: The Trump administration announced it will allow anti-LGBTQ discrimination in all grants from @HHSGov, impacting federal funding for foster care, adoption, HIV & STI prevention, youth homelessness, & countless other public health initiatives. https://t.co/yNFUWxpyUU

— National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) November 1, 2019

In addition to this new religious freedom policy, same-gender, married couples will not be seen as genuine married couples, and they can be turned away from healthcare services

The policy will not just impact queer folks, but will also affect an abundance of minority groups.

The president of the Human Rights Campaign, Alphonso David, stated “The Trump-Pence White House has proposed a horrific federal regulation that would permit discrimination across the entire spectrum of HHS programs receiving federal funding. This would permit discrimination against LGBTQ people, religious minorities, and women in programs related to foster care, adoption, HIV and STI prevention, youth homelessness, refugee resettlement, elder care programs, and more. It is unconscionable that the Trump-Pence administration would prioritize advancing discrimination over the wellbeing of vulnerable people and expect taxpayers to foot the bill for their discriminatory policies. The Trump-Pence White House is relying on the same flawed legal reasoning they’ve used in the past to justify discrimination against LGBTQ people and other communities.”