GLAD strongly opposes the proposed regulation that changes the interpretation of Section 1557 of the Affordable Healthcare Act that would eliminate existing critical protections for LGBT people, especially transgender people, and people living with HIV. Our nation has a long and shameful history of discrimination on the basis of an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including in healthcare. While lesbian, gay, and bisexual people have frequently been refused medical care based on the view that their sexual orientation is pathological or immoral, transgender people have been subjected to particularly pernicious discrimination across all sectors of the healthcare industry. For many years, healthcare providers and insurers refused to recognize gender dysphoria as a valid medical condition and improperly categorized medically necessary treatment, including hormone therapy and gender affirming surgeries, as cosmetic or experimental. This shocking lack of access to medical care resulted in profound debilitation and suffering.

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