Across the South every year, transgender and nonbinary people face discrimination, harassment, and hostility when seeking health care, often struggling to find health service providers that will competently treat them with dignity and respect.

This disparity in adequate and safe health care has long been the reality for trans Southerners. But right now, a proposed new regulation from the Trump administration is seeking to underline that disparity in bold black paint and give discrimination a blanket thumbs-up. The proposed regulation removes language explicitly protecting transgender people from discrimination in health care programs and activities.

Before a regulation goes into effect, the Administration is required to accept and read comments from the public about the regulation. For weeks, thousands of folks have submitted their comments – and now, we have just a few hours left. The open comment period closes on August 13. 

I just submitted a comment on behalf of the Campaign for Southern Equality, and now I urge you to do the same. CSE is proud to be a part of the Protect Trans Health coalition – and they’ve made it easy for you to submit. Click here to submit your comment. It takes 3 minutes. 

This new policy sanctions harassment and mistreatment with a legal stamp of approval. It will embolden more health care providers to treat trans people with derision and give them an ugly administrative shield to hide behind. It’s why we need to keep up our work toward changing hearts and minds – and helping health service providers become more welcoming and knowledgeable about trans Southerners’ unique needs.

I’ve heard too many stories of trans Southerners who have been denied care just because of who they are, and the costs have been heart-breaking. But now we have a chance to do something about it – make our voices heard and say NO to this dangerous new proposed regulation that strips transgender people of vital protections.

Click here to submit a comment advocating for a country where all transgender people can access their basic human rights, including their right to health care without leaving their hometowns, no matter where they live. The deadline is this Tuesday, August 13. 

Thank you,

Ivy Gibson-Hill
Community Health Program Director
Campaign for Southern Equality