Last week, the Williams Institute filed a public comment in response to a proposed rule issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that would roll back existing protections from gender identity discrimination in shelter facilities. The rule would allow facilities to consider physical characteristics, such as the presence of facial hair and the presence of an Adam’s apple, rather than an individual’s gender identity in deciding placement of transgender people seeking services.
The Williams Institute's comment demonstrates that the proposed rule would likely result in increased discrimination against transgender people and other gender minorities. Experiences of discrimination would exacerbate challenges that already disproportionately impact these communities, including homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity.
At the end of September, the Williams Institute filed an amicus brief with the Southern District of New York in State of New York v.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The case concerns whether HHS acted lawfully when it issued a rule attempting to strip protections from discrimination in health care for LGBT people.
The Williams Institute brief explains that the rule stands to exacerbate discrimination and negative health outcomes for LGBT people, who face high levels of rejection and discrimination in health care.
We're looking for a law teaching fellow focused on race and sexuality
The Williams Institute and the Critical Race Studies program at UCLA Law are seeking applications for the Richard Taylor Law Teaching Fellowship for 2021-2023. Applicants who intend to pursue a career as an assistant professor of law are invited to apply if their research interests concern topics at the intersection of race/racism, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
