Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden To LGBTQ+ Kids: 'I Have Your Back'
CNN: Biden Tells LGBTQ Children 'You Are Loved And Accepted Just As You Are' After Florida Advances 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
President Joe Biden on Tuesday took the rare step of weighing in on a controversial Florida bill that would ban certain discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, telling LGBTQ kids that he has their back. "I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are. I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve," Biden tweeted Tuesday evening. (Vazquez and Contorno, 2/9)
NBC News: White House Condemns Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
Last month, a Florida House committee passed the Parental Rights in Education bill, which supporters say is about protecting parents’ ability to be in charge of their children’s upbringing, while critics have dubbed it the “Don’t Say Gay“ bill, arguing that it would prevent teachers from talking about LGBTQ issues. On Tuesday, a Senate committee passed a nearly identical version of the House bill, and on the same day, Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled support for the bill, saying it is “entirely inappropriate” for teachers to be having conversations with students about gender identity. He stopped short of saying he would sign the bill. (Yurcaba, 2/9)
In other news about transgender health care and discrimination —
Roll Call: Proposed Insurance Rule Ignites Debate Over Transgender Health Care
Private insurance companies, patient advocacy groups and conservative organizations are at odds over a proposal to limit discrimination by health plans for medical care for transgender people and other LGBTQ consumers. The Biden administration, Democratic lawmakers and advocates say the proposal is essential for ensuring that LGBTQ people can access care, but some private insurers say the policy could drive up costs and the language describing what counts as discrimination is too vague. Meanwhile, conservative advocacy groups argue there is no clinical evidence for covering care that affirms the gender the consumer identifies with, such as hormone blockers or surgery. (Cohen, 2/9)
Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama Senate Committee Approves Criminalizing Transgender Healthcare
Monroe Smith wanted the senators to understand that his gender transition was a long process and one that made him a success. Speaking in opposition to a bill to ban medical treatments for transgender individuals on Wednesday, Smith, a senior at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, described a "slow and steady process" involving rounds of counseling and parental consultation before any medical treatments began. "Not once in this process," he said, "did he or his family ever feel pressured to engage in the treatments." (Lyman, 2/9)
AP: Bill Would Ban Hormone Treatment For Transgender Minors
A legislative committee has advanced a proposal that would prohibit transgender minors from being treated with puberty-blockers, hormone treatment or surgery to affirm their gender identity. The Senate Health Committee advanced the bill, which would make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to prescribe puberty-blockers or hormones or perform surgery to aid in the gender transition of people 18 years old or younger. The bill now moves to the full Alabama Senate. (Chandler, 2/10)
Argus Leader: South Dakota Senate Committee Kills Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill
The Senate Judiciary committee killed a bill Tuesday night that would have segregated school facilities by sex assigned at birth, effectively preventing transgender students from using the facilities that match their gender identity. House Bill 1005 had passed in the House on a 38-29 vote last week, and passed in the House State Affairs committee last Monday on a 7-5 vote with one lawmaker excused. (Matzen, 2/8)
AP: Indiana Transgender Athlete Ban Draws Increasing Pushback
A Republican-backed bill that would ban transgender women and girls from participating in school sports that match their gender identity drew hours of testimony at the Indiana Statehouse Wednesday as lawmakers considered whether to move the legislation forward. Legislators in the Senate education committee weighed the ban after the House advanced the bill last month, largely along party lines. Senators did not vote on the measure, but a committee vote could take place next week. (2/9)
Also —
Bloomberg: TikTok Tightens Hate Speech Rules To Bar Transphobic Deadnaming, Misgendering
TikTok is changing its definition of hate speech to include deadnaming and misgendering, part of an overhaul of the video app’s community guidelines aimed at rooting out transphobia and other harmful behavior. The ByteDance Ltd.-owned platform also tightened its rules to bar videos that promote conversion therapy — attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity — as well as eating disorders and dangerous trends such as “suicide hoaxes.” (Ceron, 2/9)
NBC News: Texas GOP Candidate 'Not Comfortable' Around Transgender Children
A Texas Republican candidate and former teacher said transgender children make her uncomfortable and questioned why other kids should be punished for making fun of them. When asked Saturday how she would enact conservative priorities in a divided state Legislature, Shelley Luther — a candidate for the Texas House of Representatives — smeared trans children and tied her discomfort around them with her support for “school choice.” (Lavietes, 2/9)
