Supreme Court Allows Trump to Move Forward with Discriminatory Military Policy
Targeting Transgender People

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump’s policy barring transgender people from serving in the military to take effect while litigation challenging the ban continues. This ban places the health and lives of transgender people in jeopardy and limits their access to medically necessary care. The discriminatory policy also threatens to result in the discharge of thousands of active transgender service members.

Statement from Angela Ferrell-Zabala, National Director of Strategic Partnerships, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

The Trump-Pence administration has an agenda to put transgender people even more at risk by politicizing their health care. Trump’s military ban only serves to threaten transgender people’s right to live free of discrimination and to stigmatize their health and lives. As a gender-affirming health care provider, Planned Parenthood will continue to fight for the dignity and well-being of our transgender staff, patients, supporters, and people of all gender identities.

This discriminatory ban isn't the only way the Trump-Pence administration has targeted transgender people.

Proposed “License to Discriminate” in Health Care: The administration’s proposed refusal of care rule would embolden health care workers to deny health care to patients and worsen existing barriers to care. It is unprecedented in its expansive approach, and could give any health care worker — from pharmacists to volunteers — license to deny patients access to abortion and other reproductive and sexual health services, deny LGBTQ people potentially life-saving health care, or deny any other service the health care worker deems divergent to their personal beliefs. A transgender patient could be denied hormone therapy or be unable to get emergency medical care because their provider refuses to provide this care. A final rule is currently under review at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Plans to Gut the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Non-Discrimination Provision: It’s been reported that the administration also plans to rewrite Section 1557 of the ACA — a provision that bars discrimination in health care — to exclude transgender people. A proposed rule is currently under review at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. 

The administration has also struck language from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website about sex discrimination and gender identity. Discrimination in health care already prevents transgender people from accessing care and this would compound the issue. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, 33 percent of respondents who sought health care in the last year experienced mistreatment, including violence, because they were transgender — and nearly one-quarter avoided seeking health care when they needed it out of fear of discrimination. In a 2017 survey, nearly one-third of transgender people surveyed said a doctor or health care provider refused to treat them due to their gender identity.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.