Biden slams Trump for rolling back protection to LGBTQ+ patients, going back on progress

The Democratic candidate for the United States 2020 Elections Joe Biden on Sunday slammed US President Donald Trump over revoking Obama-era policy that protected the LGBTQ patients from discrimination. Taking to Twitter, Biden stated that America needs a president who will fight for more LGBTQ and equality rights, not someone who will roll back on the progress that has already been done. 

Read: Trump admin rolls back healthcare protection for transgenders on Pulse Remembrance Day

The Trump administration on Friday announced the rollback of Obama-era regulation protecting transgender persons from discrimination while receiving health care. According to reports, the policy that was rolled does not only discriminate but also required robust language translation services. As per the new version of the policy, the US Health Department will “return to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination, which, as per the plain meaning of the word ‘sex’ is determined as male or female in biology”.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration had also stated that that federal civil rights law does not protect trans people from discrimination at work. This announcement came on the fourth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting-- where a shooter had killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Under the Obama-era policy, they had prevented hospitals and healthcare providers from discriminating against transgender patients and women seeking abortions. A hospital was able to perform gender-transition procedures such as hysterectomies if the facility provided that kind of treatment for other medical conditions. It had upheld the anti-discrimination section of the Affordable Care Act that prohibits sex discrimination in healthcare but does not use the term “gender identity”.

Read: Trump administration revokes transgender health protection

Trump's move opposed

The Trump administration has been facing backlash for rolling back the protection of LGBTQ+. While the Human Rights Campaign has said that it would file a lawsuit, the ACLU has said it would impeach the Trump rule. According to Head of Health Department Roger Severino, the trans-Americans will continue to be protected by other statutes that prohibit discrimination in healthcare based on race, colour, national origin, age, disability, and other factors. 

However, according to the LGBTQ groups, the protection is needed for those who are seeking gender confirmation treatment, and for transgender people who need treatment for common illness such as diabetes or heart problems.

Read: US: Trump administration rolls back Obama-era policies that protects LGBTQ rights

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