Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republicans Add Anti-LGBTQ+ Efforts To Funding Bills
The 19th: House GOP Adds Dozens Of Anti-LGBTQ+ Provisions To Must-Pass Bills
House Republicans have embedded at least 45 anti-LGBTQ+ provisions into must-pass funding bills — many of which would weaken discrimination protections for same-sex couples or restrict gender-affirming care for adults and minors. The volume and severity of these provisions is an unprecedented attempt by federal lawmakers to restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people, activists say. (Orion Rummler, 8/8)
The Washington Post: Florida Schools Drop AP Psychology After State Says It Violates The Law
Large school districts across Florida are dropping plans to offer Advanced Placement psychology, heeding a warning from state officials that the course’s discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity violates state law. Eight of the 11 districts with the largest enrollments in the class are switching to alternate courses, and just one said it will stick with AP psychology. Two others are still deciding, officials said. (Meckler, 8/9)
The Hill: Florida School District Says Trans Employees Can’t Use Pronouns, Bathrooms That Match Their Gender Identity
Florida’s Orange County Public Schools sent out a memo Monday that says its transgender employees and contractors can’t use the pronouns or bathrooms that match their gender identity, citing state law. The memo discusses House Bill 1069, which focuses on sex defined as an “immutable biological trait” at birth based on hormones and genitalia. Under the law, no one is allowed to be required to use a person’s “preferred personal title or pronoun,” and students are not to be asked for their pronouns. (Lonas, 8/8)
Alaska's News Source: First Openly Transgender Four-Star Officer In U.S. History Visits Alaska, Talks Healthcare Challenges
Admiral Rachel Levine, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is visiting Alaska this week. Levine is the first openly transgender four-star officer in U.S. history, and she’s come to Alaska to address a variety of public health issues in the state. Levine’s first stop was at Alaska’s only LGBTQ+ health clinic, Identity, which provides a variety of gender-affirming care, sexual wellness services, and primary care to the state’s LGBTQ+ community. During a workshop on Sunday, Levine and healthcare providers had the opportunity to listen to advocates and members of the community who described some of the challenges they face. (Yelverton, 8/7)
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Los Angeles Blade: HIV-Positive Soldier Commissioned With U.S. Army National Guard
Gay D.C. attorney Nicholas Harrison, a longtime member of the U.S. Army National Guard, was officially commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the D.C. Army National Guard at an Aug. 5 ceremony. The ceremony at the D.C. National Guard Armory located next to RFK Stadium took place a little over a year after Harrison, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2012, successfully challenged the military’s longstanding policy of banning soldiers with HIV from becoming commissioned officers in a lawsuit initially filed in 2018. (Chibbaro, Jr., 8/7)
