Trump reinstates gag rule on healthcare for LGBTIs and women

Donald Trump — again — is targeting healthcare that specifically helps LGBTI people, women, people of color, and those with a low income.

His adminstration announced on Friday (22 February) their plan to divert federal funding from healthcare groups providing abortions or abortion referrals.

Critics suggest this gag rule will take away funding from organizations like Planned Parenthood and reroute it to faith-based groups.

This funding stems from Title X, which is a service originally enacted in 1970 to provide funds for groups offering family planning and other related healthcare services. Currently, Title X offers $286 million (€252 million) to these various groups.

The gag rule prevents health organizations from referring their patients to abortion services. They also must maintain a ‘clear physical and financial separation’ between their government-funded services and any organization that provides abortion services.

Trump first introduced this policy last year.

An attack on more than just abortion

The rule specifically attacks abortion services, which is why groups like Planned Parenthood have often been pitted as a boogeyman to anti-abortion groups.

One such group, the Susan B. Anthony List, praised the rule.

Their president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, described the rule as ‘decisive action to disentangle taxpayers from the big abortion industry led by Planned Parenthood’.

The Family Research Council, another conservative group, said the move forces groups like Planned Parenthood to loosen their holds on ‘tens of millions of tax dollars’.

Planned Parenthood does not only provide abortion services — which also affects lesbians, bisexual women, and trans people.

They also recently introduced new programs for gay and bisexual men, as well as hormone therapy for trans people.

This gag rule targeting abortion will cut funding from groups like Planned Parenthood overall, thus severely limiting their other health services.

The administration has put health care providers in the Title X program in an impossible position: withhold information from its patients or get pushed out of the program.

The effect?

Thousands of people will be left with nowhere to turn for health care. #NoGagRule pic.twitter.com/gZHnzU8cas

— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) February 22, 2019

Know this — Planned Parenthood will always be here for our patients and will continue to fight for everyone’s ability to get affordable, quality health care. Period. #DontGagMyCare #NoGagRule pic.twitter.com/4cByKP2riy

— Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) February 22, 2019

HRC President Chad Griffin responded to the rule: ‘This is a dangerous and life-threatening attack by Trump and Pence that will effectively dismantle the Title X program, which provides reproductive care to millions, including women, LGBTQ people, people of color, people with a low income, and others. We must fight this.’

See also

Staff at children’s hospital wear NHS rainbow badges to support LGBTI people

Insurance company revokes trans man’s coverage during surgery

LGBTIs respond to Trump’s State of Union pledge to end HIV transmission by 2030