#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 13, 2016

#AM_Equality Tip Sheet: May 13, 2016

GROUNDBREAKING: DEPARTMENT OF ED. GUIDANCE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON TRANS STUDENTS: Today, schools across the country will receive guidance from the Department of Education helping ensure transgender students are treated with dignity in public and federally-funded schools, including having equal access to sex-segregated facilities, such as restrooms and locker rooms, that are consistent with their gender identity. The move comes after encouragement by HRC, major education and child welfare groups and other leading advocates to offer specific, affirming guidelines. Schools that fail to meet their legal obligations under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 face potential lawsuits or loss of Title IX funding — a risk still facing North Carolina, which of course is now being sued by the Department of Justice and receives $4.5 billion in public education funding each year. In a blog post accompanying today’s news, Catherine E. Lhamon, the assistant secretary of education for civil rights, and Vanita Gupta, the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division wrote, “Schools want to do right by all of their students and have looked to us to provide clarity on steps they can take to ensure that every student is comfortable at their school, is in an environment free of discrimination, and has an opportunity to thrive.” More from The New York Times and HRC.

  • Meanwhile, Trump pushes “states’ rights.” In an interview this morning on Good Morning America, Donald Trump’s response to guidelines making schools safer for transgender students was to invoke an ‘solution’ that would leave the fate of transgender students in the hands of governors like McCrory and Abbott : “…I think many, many things actually should be states’ rights. But this is a perfect example.” Watch here and see HRC’s response here.

MORE GROUNDBREAKING NEWS: HHS IMPLEMENTS PROTECTIONS FOR LGBT PEOPLE IN HEALTHCARE AND INSURANCE: Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights issued final regulations that provide explicit protections from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotyping, including for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, in healthcare and insurance under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This new regulation makes clear that transgender people must be treated consistent with their gender identity and cannot be denied care provided to anybody else, even when it’s transition-related care. Prohibitions on discrimination resulting from sex-stereotyping will provide significant protections for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. In November, HRC called on the Administration to implement these essential protections, delivering 13,398 public comments from our members and supporters in response to the proposed rule change. More from HRC.

#MASSMOMENTUM! MASSACHUSETTS SENATE APPROVES TRANS EQUALITY BILL: The Massachusetts State Senate yesterday overwhelmingly approved commonsense legislation that would extend non-discrimination protections to the state’s transgender residents. The state already prohibits anti-transgender discrimination in housing and employment, and the new legislation would extend the same protections to public accommodations – like parks and retail shops. The bill is expected to pass the House, and, if signed by GOP Gov. Charlie Baker, would be a significant win for transgender equality at a pivotal time for the movement. We encourage the governor to join fair-minded Republican governors, including Georgia’s Nathan Deal and South Dakota’s Dennis Daugaard, who’ve recently stood up for fairness and equality. More from HRC.

HILLARY CLINTON MEETS WITH HIV ADVOCATES: As HIV and AIDS remains a priority for HRC and the LGBT community, the Clinton campaign has also continued to make it a priority. Yesterday, Hillary Clinton met with a group of HIV advocates — including Noël Gordon Jr., HRC’s Senior Program Specialist for HIV Prevention and Health Equity — to call for community leadership and research for this vital topic. Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said, “Secretary Clinton’s meeting today with advocates underscores her commitment to do everything she can to help people living with and affected by HIV, and to work with us to end the epidemic and the continued stigma around HIV.” More from The Washington Blade and watch on Reuters.

NC GOP THREATENING LOBBYISTS OVER HB2: Republicans in North Carolina’s General Assembly are allegedly threatening to cut ties with lobbyists representing businesses that have been calling for HB2’s repeal. More than 200 businesses have spoken out against the discriminatory law. More from Talking Points Memo.

TENNESSEE LOSES ANOTHER CONVENTION OVER ANTI-LGBT LAW: Another group has pulled its convention out of Nashville, citing Tennessee’s new anti-LGBT law allowing counselors in private practice to cite their religious beliefs as a reason to deny services to LGBT clients, or refer them to another professional. Centers for Spiritual Living joins the American Counseling Association in acting on principle, and saying no to Nashville. More from The Tennessean.

ADVOCATES BLAST ANTI-TRANS PROPOSAL IN KANSAS: A proposed regulation by its Department of Health and Environment would make Kansas one of only four states to bar transgender people from changing the listed sex on their birth certificate. The department wants to allow changes only if the person’s sex was incorrectly recorded at birth. Transgender advocates say the proposal will further marginalize the their community. The Wichita Eagle reports that everyone at the forum opposed the proposal.

FRIDAY MUST-WATCH: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon appears in a video supporting LGBT rights to mark the upcoming International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17. It’s part of the UN Human Rights Office “Free and Equal” campaign, and we recommend you have tissues ready when you watch it here.

DOMO ARIGATO MR. ROBOTO: Rock legends STYX and former Eagles member Don Felder announced yesterday that they will donate proceeds from their upcoming concert in North Carolina to local LGBT charities, joining a chorus of celebrities and entertainers, from Bruce Springsteen to Nick Jonas, taking a stand against HB2. More from WRAL.

READING RAINBOW

The Los Angeles Times tells the story of the heart of Mormon country honoring Harvey Milk… Freep’s columnist Nancy Kaffer shows how easy it should be to create LGBT-inclusive policies… PBS Newshour tells the stories of trans soldiers… Vocativ uncovers the digital community for practicing LGBT Mormons… CNN shares the narrative of a trans woman’s path to living as her authentic self.

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to A.M. Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tip-sheet-may-13-2016?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Five Things to Know About #IDAHOT

Five Things to Know About #IDAHOT

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) is celebrated around the world each year to bring attention to the discrimination and violence LGBTQ people still face, as well as to recognize advancements in LGBTQ equality.

At least 75 countries criminalize same-sex relationships and in up to 10 countries same-sex conduct may be punishable by death. HRC stands in solidarity against homophobia, transphobia, biphobia and all forms of hate facing the LGBTQ community across the globe.

Ahead of this year’s celebration, here are five things you should know about IDAHOT:

1) IDAHOT is celebrated annually on May 17 to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1990.

2) IDAHOT was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, political leaders, social movements, the public and the media to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ people and those who do not conform to socially defined sexual and gender norms internationally.

3) IDAHOT was initially known by the acronym IDAHO for International Day Against Homophobia, but “transphobia” was added in 2009, followed by “biphobia” in 2015 to recognize the different and specific issues at stake for transgender and bisexual people.

4) IDAHOT is now celebrated in more than 120 countries, including in at least 30 countries where same-sex acts are illegal.

5) According to DayAgainstHomophobia.org, IDAHOT is commemorated by millions of people around the world, and the day has been given official recognition by many authorities at all levels, from city councils to national governments, to regional institutions and U.N. agencies.

www.hrc.org/blog/five-things-to-know-about-idahot?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Donald Trump’s ‘States’ Rights’ Policy Assertion on Transgender Students Dangerous, Reckless

Donald Trump’s ‘States’ Rights’ Policy Assertion on Transgender Students Dangerous, Reckless

Today, HRC released the following statement after Donald Trump declined this morning to support the Obama Administration’s important announcement that school districts should ensure that transgender students are treated with dignity and allowed equal access to facilities, such as restrooms, consistent with their gender identity.

“Trump’s reckless anti-LGBT suggestion is to turn the clock back decades,” said HRC Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof. “Donald Trump’s dangerous bluster would allow governors to bully transgender students and should be deeply alarming to the majority of Americans who support LGBT equality. Here’s the reality, Mr. Trump. Teachers and schools are asking for the federal government’s help because politicians like you and Governor Pat McCrory are putting transgender students at risk. Transgender youth face a heightened risk for bullying, harassment and violence, which is exactly why it is inexcusable that anyone running for president would try to take a pass on protecting all students.

“Hillary Clinton is fighting to advance LGBT equality and for the safety and well-being of all children for decades. Let’s be abundantly clear, she is the candidate who will ensure we not only keep all the gains we’ve made but we continue to progress on the road to equality.”

Trump remains dangerously out of step with the majority of fair-minded Americans who believe that LGBT people should be treated equally under the law. Trump has not only promised to use the Supreme Court to roll back nationwide marriage equality, but he’s supported a bill that would lead to more Kim Davis-style discrimination, and said that he would allow states like North Carolina violate federal civil rights laws.

A survey by the HRC Foundation found that three-quarters of transgender students feel unsafe in school settings. A report by the Williams Institute found that half of transgender adults who were bullied in school had attempted suicide. These startling numbers can only be expected to rise if the North Carolina law, and other similar bills proposed in other states, continue to target these young people.

Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. 

www.hrc.org/blog/donald-trumps-states-rights-policy-assertion-on-transgender-students-danger?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

The GLAAD Wrap: 'Orange is the New Black' trailer, 'Fragments of Him' video game, and more!

The GLAAD Wrap: 'Orange is the New Black' trailer, 'Fragments of Him' video game, and more!

Photo Credit: JoJo Whilden/Netflix

Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.

1) The first trailer has been released for the upcoming film Into the Forest, starring out actresses Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood. The two play sisters trying to survive in a remote countryside home after a continent-wide power outage, and the film is based on the novel of the same name by Jean Hegland. Into the Forest will be available on DirecTV and in theaters this summer.

2) Next summer’s Pitch Perfect 3 has been moved up. The third in the franchise will now hit theaters July 21, 2017 up from August 4. Negotiations are ongoing for returning talent, but we hope to see out Bella member Cynthia Rose return with the fiancé she mentioned at the end of 2015’s Pitch Perfect 2.

3) The fates of several LGBT-inclusive TV series were announced this week as Upfronts approach. ABC’s The Real O’Neals and The Catch were renewed for second seasons, while the #TGIT block of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder were all picked up for additional seasons. Viceland also renewed Ellen Page and Ian Daniel’s Gaycation. On the other side, MTV’s Faking It has been cancelled after three seasons, and FOX’s Grandfathered and ABC’s Nashville were also cancelled.

4) The trailer is out for season four of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black and the new season looks intense! The trailer includes glimpses at some fan favorite characters as well as new inmates, plus a little moment between Poussey and Soso. Season four of Orange is the New Black premieres June 17 on Netflix.

5) Brothers Charlie and Max Carver (Teen Wolf, Desperate Housewives) will star in and co-executive produce the new MTV series Bloom, Drew Barrymore will executive produce. The series follows two twin brothers who learn of each other’s existence after their father is murdered and they inherit his criminal empire. Charlie came out earlier this year in a series of Instagram posts.

6) Ellen DeGeneres is executive producing a new docuseries, Hello Goodbye, for the Travel Channel. The six-part series follows host Curt Menefee as he travels to four busy airports to interview travelers about their stories from reunions to surprise proposals. Hello Goodbye airs Monday nights on Travel Channel from 11pm.

7) Rob Green’s new music video for the single “Blue” has the singer and Game of Thrones star Joe Dempsie playing a couple whose relationship is on the rocks. The video took 12 hours and was filmed as one continuous shot. Check out “Blue” below, Green’s self-titled EP is out now.

8) The new game Fragments of Him follows the impact of a young man’s sudden death on his partner, his ex, and his grandmother. The game, which has received positive reviews from Vice and IGN, is a first person narrative with players acting as the spirit of these characters and making decisions that progress the story. Fragments of Him is available on PC now with plans for release on Xbox and PlayStation later this year, you can check out the trailer below.

9) Out soccer star Abby Wambach has been hired by ESPN to serve as a contributor and analyst for the network. She’ll be covering soccer during the Rio Olympics and the UEFA European Championships this summer, as well as hosting a new podcast Fearless Conversation with Abby Wambach. Wambach holds the world record for most goals scored among men and women, has won two Olympic gold medals plus the 2015 FIFA World Cup.

May 13, 2016

www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-orange-new-black-trailer-fragments-him-video-game-and-more

Corey Stoll On How His Gay Sex Scenes Stayed High Brow On “Girls”

Corey Stoll On How His Gay Sex Scenes Stayed High Brow On “Girls”

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What’s brilliant about [HBO’s Girls] is that [sex is] incredibly difficult to write about. Most sex scenes in movies and TV, the character development stops, the action stops, and there’s sex. And this is the exact opposite, and the sex scene comes along which actually sort of accelerates the character and plot development. All sex scenes in the show are like that.

I had some reservations. Originally, there were more [sex scenes]. I wish I was as comfortable with my body as Lena [Dunham], but I’m not.”— Actor Corey Stoll to Vulture about shooting his Girls sex scenes with costar Andrew Rannells.

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/3E0iirIJefc/corey-stoll-gay-sex-scenes-stayed-high-brow-girls-20160513

Missouri Town Officials Can’t Stop Posting Outdated Homophobic Drivel

Missouri Town Officials Can’t Stop Posting Outdated Homophobic Drivel

darrell todd maurina

Well, stop the presses, there’s a homophobic politician in Missouri ranting about queers on Facebook. Will wonders never cease.

This time it’s St. Robert City Councilman Allan Johannsen, and he’s ticking off all the boxes for “ignorant bigot.” Among his greatest Facebook hits: “I think queers need to stop trying to recruit more perverts this sick mental illness is not any better than child molesters,” and, “Why don’t you guys act right and find a nice woman instead of a person of the same sex.”

Good one, Al. That’s so creative.

Allan’s rants were triggered by some activism by the publisher of the local newspaper, the Pulaski County Daily News. Publisher Darrell Todd Maurina (pictured) is upset that there’s going to be a drag show at the local community center and wants it moved to someplace else, because there are “athletic fields next door.”

Uh, okay dude. Not sure what the proximity of an athletic field has to do with anything — are you worried that if a drag queen stands too close to a football field it turns into a discotheque?

Just for some context, here’s the kind of debauchery he’s worried about:

Yup, a drag queen calmly adjusting her hair and saying, “hi.” If there’s anything to object to here, it’s a white person wearing fake dreadlocks — eek, cultural appropriation.

The video does get a little off-color when she encounters a cute boy in the audience: “Look how cute he is! Don’t you want to put it in his butt?” Oh no, a joke about anal sex, nobody has ever done such a thing within earshot of an athletic field!

Maurina’s been making a name for himself with homophobia for years, and you can find some more unpleasant Facebook posts from him here, and also get a closer look at his profile pic.

What is it about homophobes that they all look like they’re waiting for a mug shot to be taken for doing something naughty in a men’s room?

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/x-wXfvYeTP4/missouri-town-officials-just-cant-quit-outdated-homophobic-rants-20160513

Rachel Maddow Tells Seth Meyers How She Thinks Hillary Can Beat Trump: WATCH

Rachel Maddow Tells Seth Meyers How She Thinks Hillary Can Beat Trump: WATCH

rachel maddow hillary

Last night, Rachel Maddow gave her assessment of what likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton can do to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming general election.

Maddow told Seth Meyers that she believes one key reason why none of Trump’s Republican challengers were able to take him down was because they tried to paint him as a phony conservative who doesn’t pass the Republican litmus test–a test, it turns out, Republican voters didn’t care about.

“He’s not really running on one individual policy,” Maddow says. In other words, trying to attack Trump solely based on policy will fail to gut his candidacy.

Maddow explains,

“Policy is just like whatever he grabs out of the air that’s floating around him. It’s not been what he’s running on. He’s sort of running on who he is. He’s this big rich guy who doesn’t pay attention to what people want from him, and he’s willing to be politically correct, and he’s self-funding. If you don’t go at that, if you don’t go at who he is and you try to keep it based on his policies which he doesn’t even understand let alone necessarily believe in, I think yu kind of miss the point and you miss the chance to take him apart where it counts.”

Of Hillary’s chances of winning, right now Maddow says it’s 50/50 and predicts 6 really ugly (but important!) months ahead.

Watch, below.

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Ryan Gosling, Amazon, Joan Rivers, Nyle DiMarco, Apple, Greg Berlanti, Donald Trump: NEWS

Ryan Gosling, Amazon, Joan Rivers, Nyle DiMarco, Apple, Greg Berlanti, Donald Trump: NEWS

2016 ELECTION. Donald Trump comes for Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, claims company has ‘huge antitrust problem’: “This (Washington Post) is owned as a toy by Jeff Bezos, who controls Amazon. Amazon is getting away with murder tax-wise. He’s using the Washington Post for power so that the politicians in Washington don’t tax Amazon like they should be taxed,” Trump said. “He’s using the Washington Post … for political purposes to save Amazon in terms of taxes and in terms of antitrust. He thinks I’ll go after him for antitrust. Because he’s got a huge antitrust problem because he’s controlling so much, Amazon is controlling so much of what they are doing.””

ANNOUNCEMENTS. Jimmy Kimmel announces run for Vice President.

TAKE IT OFF. Spencer Tunick to take mass nude photo at Republican National Convention: “For this particular shoot, titled “Everything She Says Means Everything,” 100 naked women will hold up large mirror discs that, according to the artist’s website, represent “reflecting the knowledge and wisdom of progressive women and the concept of ‘Mother Nature’” onto the convention center where the RNC is taking place.”

Joan RiversSETTLEMENTS. Joan Rivers’ family settles medical malpractice case surrounding her death: “Joan Rivers’s daughter, Melissa, filed a malpractice suit in January 2015, alleging doctors posed for selfies with her mother while she was unconscious. In a statement, she said the settlement allowed her to “put the legal aspects of my mother’s death behind me and ensure that those culpable for her death have accepted responsibility for their actions quickly and without equivocation”. The Rivers’ lawyers said the doctors had not denied responsibility.”


bermuda same-sexBERMUDA.
Activists prepare for referendum on same-sex marriage: “The referendum on same-sex marriage and civil unions will be held on June 23, giving campaigners on either side six weeks to get their message across to voters. A formal notice was published in the Official Gazette yesterday, confirming the two questions that will appear on the ballot paper: Are you in favour of same-sex marriage in Bermuda? Are you in favour of same-sex civil unions in Bermuda?”

BAHAMAS. Prime Minister Perry Christie insists there will be no gay marriage there as long as he’s alive: “Mr Christie appeared agitated by the continued argument that the fourth Constitutional Amendment Bill could lead to same-sex marriage, telling The Tribune on Friday night that he is “almost embarrassed by” this line of thinking.”

DiGORGEOUS. Photographer Marco Ovando has been releasing some stunning shots of Nyle DiMarco.

Instagram Photo

Instagram Photo

 

AppleBUSINESS. Apple just dropped $1 billion investment in Uber’s competitor in China: “We are making the investment for a number of strategic reasons, including a chance to learn more about certain segments of the China market,” he said. “Of course, we believe it will deliver a strong return for our invested capital over time as well.”

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR. Greg Berlanti talks to The Hollywood Reporter.

CLOSE TO YOU. People will do anything to get close to Ryan Gosling.

NASA. An awesome time-lapse video of Mercury’s transit of the Sun from earlier this week: “Around 13 times per century, Mercury passes between Earth and the sun in a rare astronomical event known as a planetary transit. The 2016 Mercury transit occurred on May 9, between roughly 7:12 a.m. and 2:42 p.m. EDT.”

FRIDAY FLESH. Howie Tung.

Instagram Photo

Instagram Photo

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Donald Trump Pretended to Be His Own Spokesperson to Brag About Himself – AUDIO, VIDEO

Donald Trump Pretended to Be His Own Spokesperson to Brag About Himself – AUDIO, VIDEO

Screen-Shot-2015-09-10-at-4.38.49-AM-800x430

Donald Trump masqueraded as his own spokesman earlier in his career to brag about his accomplishments, his wealth, and his alleged desirability to famous women.

The Washington Post obtained an audio recording of a 1991 call from a man claiming to be on Trump’s PR team, who responded to a request from People magazine reporter Sue Carswell for a comment on Trump’s divorce from wife Ivana and his increasingly complicated relationship with model Marla Maples:

A recording obtained by The Washington Post captures what New York reporters and editors who covered Trump’s early career experienced in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s: calls from Trump’s Manhattan office that resulted in conversations with “John Miller” or “John Barron” — public-relations men who sound precisely like Trump himself — who indeed are Trump, masquerading as an unusually helpful and boastful advocate for himself, according to the journalists and several of Trump’s top aides. […]

Within five minutes, Carswell got a return call from Trump’s publicist, a man named John Miller, who immediately jumped into a startlingly frank and detailed explanation of why Trump dumped Maples for the Italian model Carla Bruni. “He really didn’t want to make a commitment,” Miller said. “He’s coming out of a marriage, and he’s starting to do tremendously well financially.”

Miller turned out to be a remarkably forthcoming source — a spokesman with rare insight into the private thoughts and feelings of his client. “Have you met him?” Miller asked the reporter. “He’s a good guy, and he’s not going to hurt anybody. . . . He treated his wife well and . . . he will treat Marla well.”

As Miller, Trump touted his reputation as a playboy, explaining that famous actresses and even the likes of Madonna call him wanting to date him.

Trump using the pseudonyms John Miller and John Barron was a fact well-known among New York journalists at the time. Trump would eventually admit that the call to People was a “joke gone awry.” And prior to that call, in 1990, Trump said of the name ‘John Miller,’ “I believe on occasion I used that name.”

Today, Trump denies that fact:

In a phone call to NBC’s “Today” program Friday morning, Trump denied that he was John Miller. “No, I don’t think it — I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time and it doesn’t sound like my voice at all,” he said. “I have many, many people that are trying to imitate my voice and then you can imagine that, and this sounds like one of the scams, one of the many scams — doesn’t sound like me.” Later, he was more definitive: “It was not me on the phone. And it doesn’t sound like me on the phone, I will tell you that, and it was not me on the phone. And when was this? Twenty-five years ago?”

CNN also notes that in the interview with Today, Trump got testy:

“You’re going so low to talk about something that took place 25 years ago whether or not I made a phone call?” Trump said. “Let’s get on to more current subjects.”

More from WaPo on Trump’s history with using pseudonyms to play the role of Trump PR man:

Trump has never been terribly adamant about denying that he often made calls to reporters posing as someone else. From his earliest years in business, he occasionally called reporters using the name “John Barron.”

A “John Baron,” described as a “vice-president of the Trump organization,” appeared in a front-page New York Times article as early as 1980, defending Trump’s decision to destroy sculptures on the facade of the Bonwit Teller department store building, the Fifth Avenue landmark he was demolishing to make way for his Trump Tower. Barron was quoted variously as a “Trump spokesman,” “Trump executive,” or “Trump representative” in New York magazine, The Washington Post and other publications.

Of the 1991 phone interview, Carswell recalls thinking, “It’s so weird that Donald hired someone who sounds just like him.” When Carswell played the tape of the interview for others, including famed New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams as well as Marla Maples herself, all identified the voice as Trump’s.

Today, Carswell says of the interview,

“This was so farcical, that he pretended to be his own publicist. Here was this so-called billion-dollar real estate mogul, and he can’t hire his own publicist. It also said something about the control he wanted to keep of the news cycle flowing with this story, and I can’t believe he thought he’d get away with it.”

Listen to the tapes, below:

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HHS Implements Critical New Regulation to Protect LGBT People From Discrimination in Healthcare

HHS Implements Critical New Regulation to Protect LGBT People From Discrimination in Healthcare

Today, HRC praised the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights for implementing a regulation that provides explicit protections from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotyping, including for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, in healthcare and insurance under the provisions of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Access to healthcare should never be denied because of your sexual orientation or gender identity,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “LGBT people have too often faced healthcare systems that provide inequitable and hostile treatment. This new and important regulation will address many of these disparities and is critical to help end discrimination against transgender and gender nonconforming people in healthcare and insurance. The Affordable Care Act has made a tremendous impact on the lives of millions of Americans, and this regulation makes clear that LGBT people and their unique needs are included in the protections it provides.”

HRC has repeatedly called on the Administration to implement these essential protections. In November of last year, HRC staff delivered 13,398 public comments from our members and supporters in response to the proposed rule change.

Discrimination has touched the lives of many LGBT people at all points in the healthcare system – from being unable to access insurance coverage, to outright refusals to provide care, to verbal and physical abuse at the hands of medical professionals.

This new regulation makes clear that transgender people must be treated consistent with their gender identity and cannot be denied care provided to anybody else, even when it’s transition-related care. We are disappointed that the regulation does not provide sufficient clarity around discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. However, prohibitions on discrimination resulting from sex-stereotyping will provide significant protections for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. Any individual who has experienced discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the provision of health care or insurance should file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

www.hrc.org/blog/hhs-implements-critical-new-regulation-to-protect-lgbt-people-from-discrimi?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed