While Trump was inciting his deadly siege of the Capitol his administration was busy finalizing one of its last acts of persecution against women, LGBTQ people & religious minorities. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) will publish a final discriminatory rule change on the basis of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity & sexual orientation for organizations receiving taxpayer dollars to serve the American people. It also removes the explicit requirement to treat gay & lesbian marriages equally as required under the U.S. Constitution. Sharita Gruberg, Senior Director for the LGBTQ Research & Communications Project at the Center for American Progress stated, “For four years, the president & his administration officials have taken every opportunity to defend & expand widespread discrimination at the expense of the health & welfare of the American people. HHS administers more than half a billion taxpayer dollars through grants to provide the public with critical services, money that will now be permitted to go to organizations that pick & choose whom they will serve. The LGBTQ community is hardly alone in being targeted by this rule change. Millions of other Americans are at risk of losing access to critical services in the midst of an economic crisis & pandemic. These services include childcare programs, health care, homeless shelters, programs for seniors, foster & adoption services, violence prevention, & much more. By the time this rule goes into effect, Trump will be out of office. But the stains of his ruinous tenure will outlive his administration & will require the full attention of his successor. President-elect Joe Biden can & should act swiftly to delay & ultimately reverse these changes.”
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