Tom Price Jeopardizes Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ People

Author: Human Rights Campaign
Published: 10th Feb 2017
Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A
Additional References: LGBTQ News America Publications

Summary: Price has history of opposing basic civil rights for LGBTQ people and will be serving in a position of unique importance to the LGBTQ community.

Main Document

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) -- America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people -- said Tom Price's confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services puts the health and well-being of LGBTQ people in jeopardy. Price has a long, disturbing record of opposing basic civil rights for LGBTQ people and will be serving in a position of unique importance to the LGBTQ community.

"Tom Price has shown alarming disregard for LGBTQ people, and for the health challenges we face," said Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign.

"The fact of the matter is that too many LGBTQ people are still denied care, denied visitation rights, and are treated unfairly by their providers. The Trump Administration has floated executive order language that would allow the government to bankroll discrimination in all of those areas -- and Tom Price's alarming record shows that he's the perfect rubber stamp for the president's shameful proposals. When it comes to the health of our community, we're not going back. We will not give one inch on the progress we've made in the last 8 years. The Trump administration should know that we're watching and will hold each and every appointee accountable."

For more, check out HRC's report: Tom Price: A History of Anti-LGBTQ Actions, which includes details about Price's extensive history of anti-LGBTQ lawmaking, including:

• Price, like Jeff Sessions, voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act, referring to it as "thought crime" and referred to its passage as "immoral."
• Price voted against the Violence Against Women Act, which include protections for LGBTQ people -- particularly concerning given HHS' recognition of domestic violence as a public health crisis.
• He is a vocal opponent of the Affordable Care Act, which provides essential health care for LGBTQ people.
• He referred to the notion that transgender people should have equal access to public facilities as "abuse and overreach of power."
• Price was a vocal opponent of repealing the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban.
• The fringe Family Research Council wrote to its members: "As one of our good friends in Congress, Rep. Tim Price [sic] (R-GA), told me recently: If the homosexual Left succeeds and ENDA becomes law, you can "Just let your mind run wild and see the consequences: They are remarkably negative."
• Price sponsored legislation to attempt to pre-empt Washington, D.C.'s recognition of marriages between same-sex couples.