President Biden is hurriedly attempting to secure the gay vote.
His administration announced new rules Friday expanding discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans seeking safe healthcare. The move restores Obama-era federal protections that were reversed by the Trump administration in 2020.
The rules, put forth by the Department of Health and Human Services, bar all health providers and insurers receiving federal funding from discriminating based on gender or sexual orientation.
“Today’s rule is a giant step forward for this country toward a more equitable and inclusive health care system, and means that Americans across the country now have a clear way to act on their rights against discrimination when they go to the doctor, talk with their health plan, or engage with health programs run by HHS,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement Friday.
Religious exemptions will remain preserved under the rule. It also “does not require or mandate the provision of any particular medical service.”
“Section 1557 prohibits discrimination on certain prohibited bases, and does not interfere with individualized clinical judgment about the appropriate course of care for a patient,” the rule says.
The decision fulfills a portion of Biden’s promise to restore civil rights protections for the gay community during his administration.
It comes as gender affirming care for transgender Americans remains tangled in a conservative political controversy. The topic has become an easy target for Republicans, who seek to fear-monger voters by making an easy target out of vulnerable young queer people.
Over 20 states have totally banned, or at least restricted, gender-affirming care for minors in recent years. Even this new rule is likely to face legal challenges, according to a report from the New York Times.
Human rights and LGBTQ+ groups have applauded Biden’s decision to expand discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans seeking safe healthcare.
“Countless Americans can now find solace in knowing that they cannot be turned away from health care they need just because of who they are or who they love,” Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson told CNN.
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