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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Three Ways the Federal Government's Sliding Left on Gay Rights

Federal agencies that deal with healthcare have been slowly tilting leftward on controversial social questions of how LGBT Americans should be treated, easing limits on blood donations from gay men and expanding coverage for sex-reassignment surgery.

Blood donations from gay men

Until December, gay men were banned entirely from donating blood if they had sex with another man in their lifetimes. But under the FDA's new policy, gay men must abstain from sex with other men for just one year.

Reassignment surgery for transgender vets

Meanwhile, the VA is considering following Medicare's lead by lifting its comprehensive ban on reassignment surgery for veterans who want a sex change. The agency has allowed certain standardized care for transgender veterans since 2011, but excluded surgeries.

Obamacare providers can't refuse care to transgender people

In general, conservatives aren't pleased with federal agencies funding hormone therapy or reassignment surgery for transgender people. But what they're really irked by are directives from the Obama administration about how schools and healthcare providers must treat transgender people.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Liberals, no means no. Right?

Anonymous said...

You will have to make sure you let your medical professionals know that you want family donated blood only.