Standing Up For LGBTQ Rights

Human beings are nature’s creation and we all come with different personalities, orientations, bodies, colors, features, etc. However, there is one thing common between all of us is that we all are human beings and have been blessed with brains that are capable of creating amazing things. LGBTQ people are just like everyone else and deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and equality. Our constitution offers equal rights to everyone and that is the freedom that makes the United States different from other countries.

We need to ensure a safe environment for our neighbors, our friends, and our families, and we cannot differentiate based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ community continues to face challenges, discrimination, and hate and is looked down upon by several.  They are more likely to be victims of crime in many parts of the country.

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California has been a safe haven for the LGBTQ community and we consider them as part of our daily life. This safe environment provided to them by California needs to be outside our state boundaries and we need to ensure equal rights and respect for the LGBTQ community across the United States. We need collectively stand for their rights and ensure there is no discrimination or violence against them.

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While a lot has been done in the recent past including the passing of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to protect against workplace discrimination and the reversal of the transgender military ban, discrimination against LGBTQ still exists in many states due to the absence of federal laws covering other needs of the community.

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• Awareness and education: While a lot of things are currently in progress and bills are being brought we are still lacking the fundamental challenges in educating the people. We need to ensure the appropriate orientation of kids at the right age to provide them with an understanding of gender differences and sexual orientation. We need to better equip our next generation to have holistic understanding and knowledge to ensure they can make smart decisions.

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• Support LGBTQ organizations and initiatives: There are many organizations working to improve the lives of LGBTQ and trying to bring a change in society. We all need to stand together and support and work with LGBTQ organization.

• Antibullying protection: Anti-bullying laws implemented in several states protect LGBTQ students from bullying by other students, teachers, and school staff on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. These laws explicitly enumerate sexual orientation and/or gender identity as protected characteristics, as well as states that explicitly ban schools from adding LGBTQ protections to their anti-bullying policies. While a large number of states have implemented these laws there are still a significant number that have not and face bullying at schools. Around 24 states have no laws and 2 states where law prevents schools from adding LGBTQ protections to anti-bullying policies.  source: www.lgbtmap.org. We need federal regulations to ensure LGBTQ kids are protected and feel safe at school.

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• Insurance nondiscrimination:

  • Laws and policies are required universally to protect the LGBTQ community from being unfairly denied health insurance coverage or from being unfairly excluded from coverage for certain health care procedures on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Several states have implemented laws that ban transgender exclusions in health insurance and bars health insurers from explicitly refusing to cover transgender-related health care benefits.

  • There are still 26 states that do not have any law providing LGBTQ-inclusive insurance protections and 2 states where the law explicitly permits insurers to refuse to cover gender-affirming care source: www.lgbtmap.org.

  • While the Affordable Care Act aimed at improving access to affordable, quality health coverage for LGBTQI+ unfortunately On October 1, 2022, the District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a judgment vacating President Joe Biden's decision and noting that the administration had wrongly interpreted an Obamacare provision as barring health care providers from discriminating against gay and transgender people. We need to collectively bring regulations and laws that ensure healthcare rights federally to the LGBTQ community.