News

Over the past few months, the critical importance of having a health care system that is accessible to the most marginalized among us has become impossible to ignore. Access to a health care provider means a transgender person is one step closer to being able to live authentically. This Pride Month, TLDEF is participating in the Give OUT campaign, and we have the chance to earn thousands in additional prize money if we have the most individual donors. You can help by starting a fundraiser to support health equity for transgender people.

Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) hailed today’s landmark Supreme Court ruling that transgender people cannot be fired for who they are. In a 6-to-3 ruling, the justices issued a sweeping decision that affirms federal law protects transgender and non-binary as well as lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, rejecting the federal administration’s attempts to roll back employment protections.

Today the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new rule that would invite insurance companies, hospitals, and health care professionals to illegally deny transgender people care despite protections mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The published rule reflects a lengthy effort by HHS to chip away at non-discrimination protections for transgender people. Although today’s rulemaking does not change the statutory protections of the Affordable Care Act itself, it threatens to mislead healthcare providers into thinking discrimination is legal. It will encourage unlawful discrimination and is an invitation to litigation.