President Biden believes that no one should face discrimination for who they are or who they love. Since President Biden took office, he has championed the rights of LGBTQI + Americans and people around the world, accelerating the march toward full equality.
As President Biden said during his first joint address to Congress, the president has the backs of LGBTQI + people across the country. That is why he took such courageous action and continued to fight for full equality for all Americans, including urging Congress to pass the Equality Act and to offer expired civil rights protections for LGBTQI + people.
Today, to commemorate Pride Month, President Biden will sign an executive order promoting equality for LGBTQI + people and will welcome families, advocates, elected officials and LGBTQI + leaders to the White House for a reception.
President Biden’s Executive Order is based on the historic progress he has made for LGBTQI + people through:
- Address discriminatory legislative attacks on LGBTQI + children and families, targeting key agencies to protect families and children;
- Prevention of so-called “conversion therapy” with a historic initiative to protect children from harmful practices;
- Safeguarding health care and programs designed to prevent juvenile suicide;
- Support LGBTQI + children and families by launching a new initiative to protect foster youth, prevent homelessness, and improve access to federal programs; i
- Taking further steps to advance LGBTQI + equality.
Tackling Discriminatory LEGISLATIVE ATTACKS More than 300 anti-LGBTQI + laws have been introduced in state legislatures over the past year, many of which are specifically aimed at transgender children and their parents by banning access to care. medical and school support. President Biden is addressing these harmful, heinous, and discriminatory attacks in the face, not only by speaking out against U.S. families, but by taking action to address harassment of LGBTQI + people.
To help support affected families, President Biden is instructing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to protect children and LGBTQI + families from attacks on their access to health care, and has instructed HHS that publish new sample policies for states on how to expand them. access to comprehensive health care for LGBTQI + patients. The president is also instructing the Department of Education to address the impacts of state laws on LGBTQI + students and has instructed the department to issue a sample school policy to achieve the full inclusion of LGBTQI + students.
Addressing “conversion therapy” As a candidate, President Biden pledged to help end so-called “conversion therapy,” a discredited and dangerous practice that seeks to suppress or change sexual orientation or gender identity. of LGBTQI + people. Today, President Biden is using his executive authority to launch an initiative to protect children across America and crack down on this harmful practice, which all major medical associations in the United States have condemned.
Children who are exposed to so-called “conversion therapy” face higher rates of suicide and trauma attempts. Numerous states across the country have already passed bipartisan laws to prevent exposure to so-called “conversion therapy,” with Republican and Democratic governors signing state bans on conversion therapy into law. However, despite these efforts, many people in the United States and around the world are still undergoing this practice.
President Biden is instructing HHS to lead an initiative to reduce the risk of exposure of young people to this dangerous practice. HHS will explore guidelines to clarify that federally funded programs cannot offer so-called “conversion therapy.” HHS will also raise public awareness of its harms, provide training and technical assistance to health care providers, and expand support for services to help survivors.
President Biden also encourages the Federal Trade Commission to consider whether the practice constitutes an unfair or misleading act or practice and whether it should issue warnings or warnings to consumers. And it is urging Secretaries of State, Treasury and HHS to develop an action plan to promote the end of so-called “conversion therapy” worldwide and ensure that US foreign assistance dollars they do not fund the practice.
SAFEGUARDING HEALTHCARE AND PREVENTING LGBTQI + YOUTH SUICIDE Due to discrimination and bullying, almost half of LGBTQI + youth seriously considered suicide last year. LGBTQI + people of all ages also face significant barriers to accessing health care, and LGBTQI + patients face significant health disparities. To safeguard access to health care for LGBTQI + patients and address the LGBTQI + youth mental health crisis, President Biden instructs HHS to take steps to address the barriers and exclusionary policies that are being addressed. LGBTQI + individuals and families face access to quality, affordable, comprehensive health care, including mental health care, reproductive health care, and HIV prevention and treatment. The Order of the President instructs HHS to work with states to promote expanded access to gender affirmation care. It also charges HHS to help prevent LGBTQI + suicide by expanding youth access to suicide prevention resources and to issue new guidelines through the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Administration on the provision of care Evidence-Based Mental Health for LGBTQI + Youth
SUPPORT FOR LGBTQI + CHILDREN AND FAMILIES LGBTQI + children and families deserve the same dignity and respect as all American families. But LGBTQI + children and families continue to face significant barriers and discrimination. For LGBTQI + youth, family rejection can lead to disproportionately high homelessness rates and over-representation in foster care. And for LGBTQI + parents and households, there are significant barriers to accessing vital government benefits and services and to achieving home security. Providing these young Americans and their families with the resources and support they need will help ensure that more children and families have access to loving homes that reduce the risk of abuse and suicide. President Biden’s executive order will be:
- Address the discrimination and barriers faced by LGBTQI + youth, parents, caregivers, and foster families. While LGBTQI + parents play a vital role in ensuring that all children in the United States have a loving home and are seven times more likely to adopt a foster child, these parents continue to face barriers and biases in foster care. child welfare system. To address these disparities, President Biden instructs HHS to strengthen LGBTQI + non-discrimination protections in the host system. Its executive order also instructs HHS to launch a new initiative to partner with state child welfare agencies to improve the outcomes of LGBTQI + youth care; increase the training of child welfare staff on best practices to support LGBTQI + youth; promoting the placement of children in settings that support their sexual orientation and gender identity; and to study and address the disproportionate rates of elimination of children with LGBTQI + parents, especially women of color.
- Support families with LGBTQI + youth. When young people manifest as LGBTQI +, parents and family members often seek help to learn how to better support their children. When children face rejection from their families, they run the risk of rising homelessness rates and suicide attempts. To support families with LGBTQI + youth, President Biden is ordering HHS to expand access to volunteer family counseling and support programs to help youth and families. The President’s Executive Order also instructs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the impacts of family rejection on the mental health and long-term well-being of LGBTQI + people.
- Review family access and barriers to federal programs and benefits. Despite significant advances in ensuring that same-sex married couples have access to federal programs, many LGBTQI + families continue to face barriers to accessing vital benefits and services. For LGBTQI + people who have faced family rejection and are dependent on family structures without legal or blood ties, these barriers may be especially pronounced. To strengthen support for all families, the President’s Executive Order directs HHS to conduct a study on how current eligibility standards for federal programs affect LGBTQI + and other households, and to issue recommendations for standards. more inclusive. The Executive Order also directs the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate with agencies as they seek opportunities to implement these recommendations in their programs and services.
- Address the homelessness and instability of LGBTQI + housing. President Biden heads the Department of Housing and Urban Development with the launch of a new working group on homelessness and equity in LGBTQI + housing. This working group will lead new efforts to identify and address barriers to housing faced by LGBTQI + people, provide guidance and technical assistance to housing providers to serve LGBTQI + people, and seek new funding opportunities for services. culturally appropriate barriers to housing for LGBTQI + people. .
- To support LGBTQI + students in schools and educational institutions in our country. The President’s Executive Order directs the Department of Education to establish a new working group on LGBTQI + students and families, which will advance policies for states, school districts, and other educational institutions to promote safe and inclusive learning environments in which prosper all students.
- Support LGBTQI + youth in juvenile justice systems. The Executive Order instructs the Attorney General’s Office to establish a new information center within the Office of Juvenile Justice and Crime Prevention to effectively provide …