Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Worries Over Repercussions As Supreme Court Limits LGBTQ+ Protections
The New York Times: Supreme Court Backs Web Designer Opposed To Same-Sex Marriage
The Supreme Court sided on Friday with a web designer in Colorado who said she had a First Amendment right to refuse to design wedding websites for same-sex couples despite a state law that forbids discrimination against gay people. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, writing for the majority in a 6-3 vote, said that the First Amendment protected the designer, Lorie Smith, from being compelled to express views she opposed. (VanSickle and Liptak, 6/30)
Politico: Supreme Court Limits LGBTQ Protections In Dispute Over Services For Same-Sex Weddings
Sotomayor said the court’s ruling opens the door for a wide variety of businesses to discriminate against prospective customers. She read portions of her dissent from the bench — an unusual move that signaled she felt especially strongly. It was the second day in a row that Sotomayor dissented from the bench. (On Thursday, she read long portions of her dissent in the court’s decision ending affirmative action.) (Gerstein and Frasier, 6/30)
The Hill: Levine On Anti-LGBTQ Legislation: ‘These Laws And Actions Will Not Stand’
Rachel Levine remained optimistic about the LGBTQ+ community’s future in the U.S. at an event about health inequity. During Thursday’s event, hosted by The Washington Post, associate editor Jonathan Capehart and the nation’s assistant secretary for health discussed the recent slew of bills in state legislatures that target the LGBTQ+ community. (Kelly, 7/3)
Also —
NPR: LGBTQ+ Women Rely On Community When Facing Harassment And Violence, Survey Finds
The executive summary of the survey report, entitled "We Never Give Up the Fight: A Report of the National LGBTQ+ Women's Community Survey," was released this week. It found that while LGBTQ+ women experience high rates of violence in multiple areas of their lives, they regularly rely on their friends, not institutions – such as the education system, law enforcement, or religious organizations – for support. Specifically, 76% of respondents reported experiencing harassment, discrimination, or violence in educational settings, and 43% said their childhood faith traditions became a source of conflict because of their identity as an LGBTQ+ woman. (Roldan, 7/1)
Meanwhile, in Florida —
The Hill: LGBTQ Conservatives Say They Feel Misled By DeSantis
LGBTQ Republicans say they feel misled by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) after the GOP presidential hopeful’s “war room” shared a bizarre video widely seen as inflammatory. The video bashed former President Donald Trump’s (R) support for the LGBTQ community and leaned into conservative state policies passed under DeSantis this year that were criticized as anti-LGBTQ. (Migdon, 7/3)
The 19th: Gender-Affirming Care In Florida Just Got Even Harder To Access
Two Florida medical boards met Friday to finalize rules for how transgender minors and adults in the state can access gender-affirming care. Amid confusion that has prevented adults from accessing care, LGBTQ+ Floridians and their doctors asked the boards to do better to protect trans people — and to acknowledge gender-affirming care as legitimate medical care. (Rummler, 6/30)
WGCU: Transgender Floridians Remain In Limbo As Legal Fight Over Gender-Affirming Care Continues
Six weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that places restrictions and bans on gender-affirming care, many transgender Floridians feel uncertainty and dread about their future in the state. SB 254, signed into law May 17, has been criticized for its broad restrictions on health care for the estimated 94,900 transgender people who live in Florida. Under the law, a ban is placed on all gender-affirming care for minors. and further limits are put into place on how transgender adults can receive care. (Stewart, 7/5)
