On January 18, 2018, Reuters reported that a new health care provision allows health care professionals to “deny care to women seeking abortions or birth control as well as gay and transgender patients” for religious reasons. While federal law restricts hospitals and doctors from turning away anyone who needs emergency medical care, sexual orientation and gender identity are no longer a protected category for general practices.

Discrimination against the LGBTQ population

Members of the American Civil Liberties Union state that denying healthcare to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people goes beyond the bounds of religious freedom, according to Reuters.

Throughout the country, LGBTQ people are feeling the heat of increased discrimination, likely brought on by the Trump Administration, concludes a study by USA Today.

The study states that less than half of non-LGBTQ adults said that they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable with LGBTQ people in different scenarios.

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, blames the current political state for this rise of derogatory rhetoric and policy rollbacks, calling it “a permission slip for discrimination and bias.”

Legislature changes affect the LGBTQ community

According to the article by USA Today, policy changes on national and state levels that continue to legalize discrimination could be responsible for the results of the survey.

GLAAD lists these among policy changes that have been detrimental to the LGBTQ population in 2017:

• LGBTQ content was removed from governmental websites after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
• The Department of Education removed the stipulation in Title IX that said transgender students had the right to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
• President Trump proposed a ban on transgender people serving in the military.
• Some state laws allow government workers and private businesses to deny services to LGBTQ people under religious freedom beliefs.

But popularity of LGBTQ people isn’t the only thing that has been affected by these policy changes.

Studies find additional issues

GLAAD goes on to say that violence against LGBTQ people has risen 86% since 2016. 55 hate-related homicides were reported in 2017 alone.

“The study validates what LGBTQ people feel inside. I hear every day ‘it’s not like it used to be; I am nervous; I don’t feel safe anymore,’” Ellis said.

According to a different study by Movement Advancement Project, 55% of LGBTQ people have experienced discrimination and 34% say that it affects their daily lives, such avoiding public shops and restrooms.

However, despite all the lost ground, 79% of non-LGBT Americans still support equal rights for the LGBTQ community, according to US Today.

“Conceptually, we all believe in equality for everyone, but there is a misconception that LGBTQ people already have full rights,” Ellis said.

Opportunities for allies

There are many ways that allies can help the LGBTQ community under an administration that denies them healthcare and other human rights.

Getting connected with Drury Allies can be a great first step; they have excellent contacts with community partners. Drury Allies meets on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. in the Diversity Center.

PROMO is an organization based in Missouri that advocates on a state level for the rights of LGBTQ people. They host events regularly and there are several ways to get involved. Visit https://promoonline.org/ for more information.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is an organization that has great resources for LGBTQ friendly healthcare providers in the area, as well as local churches that support the LGBTQ community. Those can be found here: https://pflagoftheozarks.org/resources-2/

If you like to volunteer, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of the Ozarks, Aids Project of the Ozarks and Rare Breed are all local organizations that support the LGBTQ community.

One way to support LGBTQ people is with your spending habits. If you hear that an organization denies LGTBQ people services, don’t spend your money there. And vice versa, if you hear of an organization that supports LGBTQ people, go to those businesses instead.

As a Drury student, you are surrounded by diverse and incredible people. Celebrate that, and keep your heart and mind open to new experiences, both in response to and in spite of what national and state administration is doing.

Article written by Mady McColm