Stepping backward on civil rights at HHS

Roger Severino most recently was director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at the Heritage Foundation, where he concerned himself with "religious liberty, marriage and life issues." But the Trump Administration has been staffing itself with Heritage people, so Severino has been chosen to be director of the Office of Civil Rights at HHS.

The OCR is charged with enforcing protection of patient's privacy and civil rights, and making sure that they are free from discrimination. The position does not require Senate confirmation.

When HHS issued rules banning discrimination against transgender patients under the ACA last year, Severino and fellow Heritage staffer Ryan Anderson were livid and published Proposed Obamacare Gender Identity Mandate Threatens Freedom of Conscience and the Independence of Physicians

By prohibiting differential treatment on the basis of “gender identity” in health services, these regulations propose to penalize medical professionals and health care organizations that, as a matter of faith, moral conviction, or professional medical judgment, believe that maleness and femaleness are biological realities to be respected and affirmed, not altered or treated as diseases.

They would effectively require controversial procedures, such as ‘sex-reassignment’ surgery, that respected medical professionals argue have not been proven effective in treating serious mental health conditions.

Respect for the "medical professionals" mentioned is quite minimal...one might even measure it as virtually non-existent.

I could not think of a more dangerous person to head up the Office of Civil Rights at HHS. Once again, Donald Trump is declaring war against our community by appointing anti-LGBTQ people at all levels of his administration.

--JoDee Winterhof, HRC

This appointment, made without fanfare, is part of disturbing trend by the Trump administration of naming people who disagree or outright oppose the mission or role of an agency or office to leadership positions within those entities.

--Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

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solublefish's picture

By prohibiting differential treatment on the basis of “gender identity” in health services, these regulations propose to penalize medical professionals and health care organizations...[who make 'medical' judgments on the basis of bigotry rather than science]

There is no 'right' to be a pharmacist, or a medical doctor, or a business owner. If you choose to be one of those things, you are required to conduct yourself according to the standards of the tribe and in accord with the law and the public interest.

If that's not something you are willing to do, go push a broom.

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enhydra lutris's picture

confusion between the right to believe any damn thing one chooses, and the obligation to perform ones profession according to the appropriate professional standards. In the case of medicine, those would be best medical practices, based on best available scientific knowledge. Anybody wanting to play doctor can believe whatever they want, but they have to leave the tarot, natal sun charts and other superstitious fol de rol at home or in their car.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --