US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed at curbing discrimination against transgender youth and drying up federal funds for the disputed practice of “conversion therapy” – the so-called gay cure – that seeks to change or suppress the sexual orientation or gender identity of citizens.
The order signed by the Democrat directs the federal health and education departments to expand medical care for transgender youth. The text also advises government agencies not to offer “conversion therapy” in state-funded programs.
The order further requires the US Federal Trade Commission to deem the method a deceptive practice.
A study released by the Trevor Project, an LGBTQIA+ anti-suicide advocacy group, showed that approximately $650 million is spent every year on “conversion therapy” in the US, including payments from insurance companies. insurance and Medicaid, a federally funded health program for low-income people.
“We have a lot more work to do,” Biden said Wednesday. The president did not choose the date for the signature by chance. The sixth month of the calendar is internationally celebrated as LGBT+ Pride because of a milestone: the Stonewall riot. Led by transvestites, lesbians and gays, the protest put an end to the aggression that LGBT+ people suffered in police raids on a New York bar in 1969.
Before signing the order, the president condemned what he called the “ultra-MAGA” agenda. [sigla para Make America Great Again]in reference to Republican Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, and said that US states have implemented hundreds of bills that target LGBTQIA+ people and allow harassment of parents.
He was referring to projects that restrict classroom discussions about gender identity, block access to healthcare to help young people transition, and restrict transgender people from participating in sports. “These are real attacks on families,” Biden said.
Also included in the order signed by Biden are measures to encourage foster homes that welcome LGBTQIA+ children and support sexual orientation.
A study published in February in the medical journal Jama Network Open showed that transgender and nonbinary teens who received specialized health care, including gender-affirming hormone treatment and puberty blockers, had a 60% reduction in depression and a 73% reduction. in suicidal thoughts one year after the start of care.
While considered positive by more progressive sectors, the order signed by Biden falls short of an outright ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in public spaces and in US federal programs. For that, it would be necessary to pass the Equality Act in the US Senate.
