Fenway Health is committed to working with our patients, their families, our partner organizations, elected officials, and the communities we serve to ensure that the changing political and regulatory context does not negatively affect lifesaving care and services

BOSTON, Jan. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The evening of January 20, executive orders were issued restricting the federal government's recognition of gender to two sexes, male and female, and restricting federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

"Efforts to roll back existing civil rights protections and restrict the federal government's ability to address the needs of transgender and intersex people represent an attack on the very values of equity, dignity, and justice that Fenway Health has championed for more than 50 years," said Fenway Health CEO Jordina Shanks. "On a day when many in our community feel uncertainty and fear, we reaffirm our commitment to being a beacon of hope and a refuge for the LGBTQIA+ community. The work ahead is urgent, and we are working in coalition with our partners to stand up against actions that threaten our rights and to ensure everyone has access to care and support."

Executive Order Stating That the Federal Government Only Recognizes Two Sexes and Restricting Federal Recognition of Human Diversity

An executive order was issued limiting the federal definition of gender to two sexes, male and female, and seeking to restrict federal funding for gender affirming programs. This order is unfortunate and harmful and denies the existence of more than 1.6 million transgender, intersex, and gender diverse Americans.

The executive order goes against polling from Data for Progress finding that 80% of voters strongly or somewhat agree that "both Democrats and Republicans should spend less time talking about transgender issues and more time talking about voters' priority issues like the economy and inflation."

"Transgender and gender diverse people are real. Intersex people exist. Gender dysphoria is a diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V," said Julie Thompson, PA, Interim Associate Medical Director and Medical Director of the Transgender Health Program at Fenway Health. "Stating that sex is exclusively binary ignores the lived experiences of transgender and gender diverse people and intersex people. It is out of touch with science and medical standards of care of all the major medical associations."

The PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) 2022 American Values Atlas Survey found that 80% of Americans support sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) nondiscrimination. Research from The Fenway Institute shows that anti-transgender policies have a negative impact on the mental health of transgender and gender diverse people.

Executive Order Banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in Federal Agencies

The executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in federal agencies undermines efforts to increase the hiring and promotion of people who are women and/or underrepresented racial and ethnic minoritized individuals, particularly in sectors where they have historically experienced discrimination.

"Striking racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes, health insurance coverage, income, wealth, policing, criminal justice involvement, educational opportunity and other areas persist in our country. Women's inequality continues, with underrepresentation and pay disparities in many professions. People who are both women and racial and ethnic minoritized individuals experience an impact that is compounded by the layers of discrimination that come with holding both identities. Our society has only recently come to explore and acknowledge the inequities that lead to these disparities, taking steps to reduce and eliminate them, such that all Americans have an opportunity to be healthy and thrive," said Adrianna Boulin, MPH, Fenway Health's Director of Racial Equity, Social Justice & Community Engagement. "In the absence of federal leadership in this area, it is essential that health care organizations and other parts of civil society continue to prioritize understanding and addressing racial and ethnic inequities, and gender inequities, to create a fairer society for all."

In 2023, researchers from Public Agenda found that 91% of Americans believe everyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, deserves an equal opportunity to succeed, and 60% of Americans support efforts to combat racism. According to the Pew Research Center, strong majorities of the general public support DEI policies and say that DEI trainings are helpful to them, and believe that the country has not gone far enough to ensure gender equality.

Fenway Health is committed to working with our patients, their families, our partner organizations, elected officials, and the communities we serve to ensure that the changing political and regulatory context does not negatively affect lifesaving care and services. Our policy team is hard at work in coalition with local and national LGBTQIA+, HIV/AIDS, and health center partners planning how we can best respond to political and policy attacks on LGBTQIA+ health equity, racial equity, and gender-affirming health care.

Media Contact

Christopher Viveiros, Fenway Health, 6179276342, cviveiros@fenwayhealth.org, www.fenwayhealth.org

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SOURCE Fenway Health