For over 50 years, Outside In has served the most marginalized people in our community. We are saddened and angered by the recent attempts of the Trump administration to roll back both the Equal Access Rule and regulations related to the Health Care Rights (HCR) Law, which diminish the rights and protections of the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (GNC) community accessing housing and healthcare. In particular, we are very concerned about:
- the new proposal to eliminate the requirements for single sex or sex-segregated shelters to admit individuals solely based on a person’s self-identification of sex. Under the existing rule, shelters are required to admit Transgender and GNC individuals; and
- the position of the current administration not to investigate complaints of anti-transgender discrimination as it pertains to access to healthcare.
We want our community to know that we strongly oppose these proposed new rules, and we will not discriminate against Transgender and GNC people. We will continue to provide gender affirming housing and health care. We are committed to welcoming everyone, especially our most vulnerable neighbors, to our health clinic and youth services programs here at Outside In.
We are in solidarity with, and in support of, our Transgender and GNC neighbors, who already experience homelessness and health inequities at a devastatingly high rate and who face barriers to accessing safe and affirming housing, health care, and supporting services. We want to emphasize and acknowledge that the proposed removal of protections will disproportionately impact Transgender and GNC people who are black, indigenous, people of color, or disabled–who live at the intersection of racism, homophobia, and transphobia and are at a high risk for violence, abuse, and exploitation. Further, we will speak out against any attempt to write discrimination into laws while also working to ensure that existing barriers to housing and healthcare for Transgender people are removed.
To our Transgender and GNC community, especially to our Transgender and GNC community of color: we see you, we hear you, and we are here to support you. As fellow human beings, you deserve equal rights, protections, and respect. You deserve to speak up about discrimination and pursue legal action if you experience discrimination.
These efforts to roll back protections do not change the law. Health care and housing discrimination against Transgender and GNC people is still illegal. If you have faced discrimination in health care or housing, our Legal Clinic can assist you. Our Legal Clinic takes place every other Thursday from 2:00pm-3:30pm. For more information, call 503.535.3800 extension 3968.
The National Center for Transgender Equality has also compiled a list of resources, with several links to legal resources, geared for the transgender and GNC community.
Take Action:
Make your voice heard. The Transgender Law Center has set up a resource for submitting comments to the Department of Health and Human Services regarding proposed changes to the Health Care Rights Law.