WASHINGTON – The United States will protect gay and transgender people against sex discrimination in health care, as announced by the administration of President Joe Biden, reversing a questioned measure of his successor, Donald Trump.
According to the AP news agency, the measure of the Department of Health and Human Services, affirms that federal laws that prohibit discrimination in health care also cover gays and transgender people.
The Trump administration had defined “sex” as the gender assigned at birth, excluding transgender people from protections.
“The fear of discrimination can lead individuals to stop receiving care, which can have serious negative health consequences,” said Health Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Becerra added that the move will bring the department into line with a Supreme Court ruling last year in an employment discrimination case, which established that federal workplace laws also protect gays and transgender people.