Assistant Secretary of Health Appointment
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The Complexities of Sex Education in Utah
1 The Complexities of Sex Education in Utah Grace Sponaugle Occidental College, Urban & Environmental Policy Professor Cha, Professor Matsuoka, & Professor Shamasunder April 8, 2019 Sponaugle 2 Abstract Utah has a state-wide policy of abstinence education. Abstinence education programs have been proven to be ineffective at delaying the initiation of sex and changing sexual risk behaviors (Santelli et al., 2017), correlating with high rates of teen pregnancies and STIs ((Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011)(McCammon, 2017)). Limiting the standards by which sex education programs are deemed “effective” to disease and pregnancy prevention, neglects the holistic view of sexual health as defined by the CDC. Therefore, in an attempt to understand the broader implications that sex education has had on youth in Utah, this study examined, through a survey and interviews, the social, cultural, and educational influences that youth in Utah attributed to their sex education. Additionally, this study analyzed how these influences have played a role in the youth’s self perception of their sexual knowledge and sexual health. This research revealed that abstinence education is inherently limited, calling for Utah to expand its sex education framework beyond abstinence education and embrace a comprehensive model for sex education. Sponaugle 3 Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank Professor Cha, Professor Matsuoka, and Professor Shamasunder for their help and guidance not only on the completion of my thesis, but also throughout my journey at Occidental College. Additionally, I would like to thank everyone that participated in the survey and interviews. None of this would have be possible without your support and interest in my project. -
Statewide Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth
Statewide resources for LGBTQ+ youth State Organization Phone Address Website GLBT Advocacy & PO Box 3443, Alabama 256-425-7804 http://www.glbtays.org/ Youth Services Huntsville, AL, 35810 336 East 5th Avenue, Alaska Identity, INC 907-929-4528 http://www.identityinc.org/ Anchorage, AK, 99501 1101 N Central Avenue #202, Arizona One-n-Ten 602-475-7456 https://onenten.org/ Phoenix, AZ 85004 NWA Center For 179 N. Church Avenue Suite 101, http://www. Arkansas 479-966-9014 Equality Fayetteville, AR 72701 nwacenterforequality.org/ 2712 Telegraph Avenue, California The Pacific Center 510-548-8283 http://www.pacificcenter.org/ Berkeley, CA 94705 Stonewall Alliance 358 East 6th Street, California 530-893-3336 http://www.stonewallchico.org/ Center Chico, CA 95927 The Rainbow 2118 Willow Pass Road Suite 500, California 925-692-0090 https://www.rainbowcc.org/ Community Center Concord, California 94520 The GLBT PO Box 9798, Colorado Community Center 303-831-0442 http://www.glbtcolorado.org/ Denver, CO 80209 of Colorado 19 River Street, Connecticut Outspoken 203-227-1755 http://www.ctoutspoken.com/ Norwalk, CT 06850 576 Farmington Avenue, Connecticut True Colors 860-232-0050 http://www.ourtruecolors.org/ Hartford, CT 06105 1308 Delaware Avenue, Suite 10, Delaware J.U.S.T. For Youth 302-547-6629 http://www.justforyouthde.org/ Wilmington, DE 19806 2040 N. Dixie Highway, Florida The Pride Center 954-463-9005 http://www.glccsf.org/ Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Orlando Youth PO Box 536944, http://www. Florida 407-244-1222 Alliance Orlando, FL 32853 orlandoyouthalliance.org/ allconnect.com 1 Sunshine Social 1480 SW 9th Avenue, Florida 954-548-4602 http://www.sunserve.org/ Services Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 The Rainbow 3111 Clairmont Road, Suite B, Georgia 404-457-1721 http://www.chriskids.org/ Program Atlanta, GA 30329 1017 Edgewood Avenue, Georgia YouthPride 404-521-9713 http://www.youthpride.org/ Atlanta, GA 30307 Fierce Youth PO Box 8551, Georgia Reclaiming and 404-532-0022 http://www.fyrerj.org/ Atlanta, GA 31106 Empowering https:// Hawaii LGBT P.O. -
Opening the Door Transgender People National Center for Transgender Equality
opening the door the opening The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice people transgender of inclusion the to organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. www.nctequality.org opening the door NATIO to the inclusion of N transgender people AL GAY AL A GAY NATIO N N D The National Gay and Lesbian AL THE NINE KEYS TO MAKING LESBIAN, GAY, L Task Force Policy Institute ESBIA C BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER ORGANIZATIONS is a think tank dedicated to E N FULLY TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE research, policy analysis and TER N strategy development to advance T ASK FORCE F greater understanding and OR equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual T and transgender people. RA N by Lisa Mottet S G POLICY E and Justin Tanis N DER www.theTaskForce.org IN E QUALITY STITUTE NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE POLICY INSTITUTE NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY this page intentionally left blank opening the door to the inclusion of transgender people THE NINE KEYS TO MAKING LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER ORGANIZATIONS FULLY TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE by Lisa Mottet and Justin Tanis NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE POLICY INSTITUTE National CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY OPENING THE DOOR The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute is a think tank dedicated to research, policy analysis and strategy development to advance greater understanding and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender -
HW 2016 03 TX Letter EHB T
September 30, 2015 Kevin Counihan Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 Via email: [email protected] Re: 2017 Texas Essential Health Benefits Benchmark Plan Comments: Special Concerns re: Transgender Persons Dear Mr. Counihan: The Texas-based organizations signed onto this letter appreciate the opportunity to comment on proposed Texas Essential Health Benefit (EHB) benchmark for 2017 released on August 28, 2015. We fully endorse the comments submitted by the LGBT State Exchanges Project at the Center for American Progress (Washington, DC) which provide a detailed analysis of concerns about the potentially discriminatory impact of the non-compliant benchmark plans on access to services needed by transgender individuals in Texas and other states. We also fully endorse the comments submitted by Center for Public Policy Priorities (Austin, Texas), which detail fully the multiple shortcomings of Texas’ non-compliant default benchmark plan. Our organizations submit this separate comment letter to underscore our serious concern about the inadequacy of Texas’ EHB benchmark in its potential impact on transgender persons. Texas’ default EHB benchmark contains an exclusion for any services or supplies provided for, in preparation for, or in conjunction with “transsexual surgery.” We also note that Texas’ benchmark plan covers benefits for tests to detect Human Papillomavirus and cervical cancer including a Pap smear only for women age 18 and older. In addition to the arbitrary age limit which may be discriminatory, it is important that CCIIO clarify that these wellness services must be provided to any person with a cervix to be compliant with nondiscrimination requirements in ACA Section 1557 (see CAP comments). -
September 20, 2019 Program Design Branch, Program
September 20, 2019 Program Design Branch, Program Development Division, Food and Nutrition Service United States Department of Agriculture 3101 Park Center Dr., Alexandria, VA 22302 Re: Notice of Proposed Rule Making -- Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) RIN 0584-AE62 Dear Program Design Branch: The undersigned lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) and allied organizations urge the USDA to withdraw its proposed rule, Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If implemented, the proposed rule would harm millions of low-income Americans, with particularly negative implications for the LGBTQ community. Since 1996, over forty jurisdictions have implemented a process known as “broad-based categorical eligibility” (BBCE), for households receiving some in-kind services funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program. While federal requirements restrict SNAP assistance to households with net incomes under 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL), gross incomes under 130% of the FPL, and in many cases liquid assets below $2,250, the BBCE option gives states flexibility to adjust these thresholds.i Most states have opted to eliminate the asset test and increase the gross income limit (up to 200% of the FPL) for SNAP. In this manner, states can: 1) extend SNAP eligibility to families with gross incomes working their way up the economic ladder but still struggling with high costs for basics, and 2) incentivize families to save by loosening restrictions on assets. Congress has consistently upheld BBCE since its inception, most recently during the 2018 Farm Bill.ii The proposed rule would greatly undercut the scope of BBCE, effectively sidestepping Congress’ bipartisan efforts to maintain the option. -
LGBT Sign-On Letter in Support of the October 5 National Day of Dignity and Respect for Humane Immigration Reform
LGBT Sign-on Letter in Support of the October 5 National Day of Dignity and Respect for Humane Immigration Reform An Open Letter in Support of the National Day of Dignity and Respect for Humane Immigration Reform The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and allied organizations listed below strongly support the October 5 National Day of Dignity and Respect for Humane Immigration Reform. Our broken immigration system causes great harm and suffering to hundreds of thousands of LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants and aspiring citizens. We urge the House of Representatives to act quickly and urgently to pass humane immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship and protection for vulnerable LGBT and HIV-positive immigrants, asylum seekers, and detainees. We will stand with a broad spectrum of organizations and individuals on October 5 to tell Congress: Act NOW to pass humane immigration reform. This year, the LGBT community has celebrated a tremendous victory in the fight for equality and justice for LGBT immigrant families. While we celebrate, we remain committed to humane immigration reform to ensure no LGBT immigrant – or any immigrant – is left behind. Our community and families have been excluded from our nation’s immigration laws for decades. Lesbian and gay immigrants were banned from immigrating to the United States until 1990, HIV-positive immigrants were banned from immigrating until 2010, and shockingly, the immigration ban on LGBT families continued until June 26 of this year when the Supreme Court overturned part of the Defense of Marriage Act. After decades of discrimination and exclusion, LGBT family ties are finally recognized in our country’s immigration system, allowing us to now sponsor our spouses for green cards. -
In 2019, the State of Equality Is: out of Step with Texas Values
IN 2019, THE STATE OF EQUALITY IS: OUT OF STEP WITH TEXAS VALUES As the 2019 Texas Legislature approaches the mid-point, Equality Texas has surveyed the current state of equality and concluded that urgent legislative action is needed. Public support for equality has never been higher. But from kindergarten to the retirement home, LGBTQ people still experience worse outcomes across nearly every metric and, for many, equality remains stubbornly out of reach. The 86th Texas Legislature must act to remove the antiquated legal barriers that put LGBTQ Texans at a marked disadvantage compared to their neighbors. VISIBILITY & ACCEPTANCE According to an analysis by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, approximately 930,000 Texans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer. If LGBTQ Texans were a city unto themselves, they’d be the 5th most 1 populous municipality in the state, just behind Austin, and significantly larger than El Paso. LGBTQ people are more visible in their communities than ever before: according to a 2017 study, 70% of Americans report that they have a close friend or family member who is gay or lesbian, while the number of Americans who say they personally know someone who is transgender has nearly doubled, from 11% to 21%. Public support for equality is also at an all time high in the state. The Public Religion Research Institute recently analyzed Texans’ attitudes and reported that 64% of Texans support non-discrimination laws for LGBTQ people. That strong support is consistent across political party, religious affiliation, demographic group, and region of the state. -
Anti-Gay Curriculum Laws Clifford J
SJ Quinney College of Law, University of Utah Utah Law Digital Commons Utah Law Faculty Scholarship Utah Law Scholarship 2017 Anti-Gay Curriculum Laws Clifford J. Rosky S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://dc.law.utah.edu/scholarship Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, Law and Gender Commons, and the Sexuality and the Law Commons Recommended Citation Rosky, Clifford J., "Anti-Gay Curriculum Laws" (2017). Utah Law Faculty Scholarship. 13. http://dc.law.utah.edu/scholarship/13 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Utah Law Scholarship at Utah Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Utah Law Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Utah Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DRAFT: 117 COLUM. L. REV. ___ (forthcoming 2017) ANTI-GAY CURRICULUM LAWS Clifford Rosky Since the Supreme Court’s invalidation of anti-gay marriage laws, scholars and advocates have begun discussing what issues the LGBT movement should prioritize next. This article joins that dialogue by developing the framework for a national campaign to invalidate anti-gay curriculum laws—statutes that prohibit or restrict the discussion of homosexuality in public schools. These laws are artifacts of a bygone era in which official discrimination against LGBT people was both lawful and rampant. But they are far more prevalent than others have recognized. In the existing literature, scholars and advocates have referred to these provisions as “no promo homo” laws and claimed that they exist in only a handful of states. -
Organizations Endorsing the Equality Act
647 ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSING THE EQUALITY ACT National Organizations 9to5, National Association of Working Women Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC A Better Balance Asian American Federation A. Philip Randolph Institute Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) ACRIA Association of Flight Attendants – CWA ADAP Advocacy Association Association of Title IX Administrators - ATIXA Advocates for Youth Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists AFGE Athlete Ally AFL-CIO Auburn Seminary African American Ministers In Action Autistic Self Advocacy Network The AIDS Institute Avodah AIDS United BALM Ministries Alan and Leslie Chambers Foundation Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative American Academy of HIV Medicine Bend the Arc Jewish Action American Academy of Pediatrics Black and Pink American Association for Access, EQuity and Diversity BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la PaZ American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBTQ Interests American Association of University Women (AAUW) Caring Across Generations American Atheists Catholics for Choice American Bar Association Center for American Progress American Civil Liberties Union Center for Black Equity American Conference of Cantors Center for Disability Rights American Counseling Association Center for Inclusivity American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Center for Inquiry Employees (AFSCME) Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies American Federation of Teachers CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers American Heart Association Central Conference -
NATIONAL CENTER for LESBIAN RIGHTS 870 Market
Nos. 19-15974, 19-15979 IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT STATE OF CALIFORNIA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ALEX M. AZAR II, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Defendants-Appellants, ESSENTIAL ACCESS HEALTH, INC., et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. ALEX M. AZAR II, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Defendants-Appellants, BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE NATIONAL CENTER FOR LESBIAN RIGHTS, EQUALITY FEDERATION, FAMILY EQUALITY COUNCIL, GLMA: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ADVANCING LGBTQ EQUALITY, THE HIV MEDICINE ASSOCIATION, THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY, THE NATIONAL LGBTQ TASK FORCE, THE SEXUALITY INFORMATION AND EDUCATION COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES (SIECUS), THE LGBT MOVEMENT ADVANCEMENT PROJECT, LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, INC., GLBTQ LEGAL ADVOCATES & DEFENDERS, THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER, AND BAY AREA LAWYERS FOR INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IN SUPPORT OF APPELLEES SHANNON MINTER JAMES E. HOUGH JULIANNA GONEN 250 West 55th Street AMY WHELAN New York, NY 10019-9601 JULIE WILENSKY Telephone: (212) 468-8000 NATIONAL CENTER FOR [email protected] LESBIAN RIGHTS ANDRE FONTANA 870 Market Street, Suite 370 425 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94102 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 392-6257 Telephone: (415) 268-7000 [email protected] MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP Attorneys -
Sign-On Letter Supporting the Dignity for Detained Immigrants
8/15/2019 Dear Member of Congress, We, the undersigned organizations, write to express our strong support for the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act (H.R. 2415/ S. 1243). As lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and allied organizations, we recognize the severe danger detention poses to LGBTQ immigrants and the imperative need for increased oversight of detention facilities and the rights of asylum seekers. The Act would protect LGBTQ people from arbitrary detention and violence within facilities and ensure their right to seek protection within the United States. We urge you to protect these basic rights and co-sponsor this critical bill. Current Danger for LGBTQ Immigrants In 2018, Roxsana Hernandez fled to the U.S. from Honduras. As a transgender woman with HIV, Roxsana faced severe threats of violence and persecution in her home country. However, Roxsana did not escape such abuse upon arriving to the U.S. While detained at the border, Roxsana suffered abuse and mistreatment and died from dehydration and complications related to HIV only weeks after arriving.1 Roxsana is not alone. Johana Medina Leon, a 25-year-old trans woman from El Salvador entered US custody on April 1. Despite seeking safety, she was denied medical care and died seven weeks after being detained.2 LGBTQ people are more likely to be and remain detained, regardless of their flight risk or public safety risk. A 2016 Freedom of Information Act request from the Center for American Progress found that DHS detained 88 percent of LGBTQ immigrants who were eligible for release and not subject to mandatory detention, despite expressing fear of being targeted by other detainees and staff members because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.3 This fear is well-founded. -
March 12, 2017 Dear President Emmert & NCAA Governance: On
March 12, 2017 Dear President Emmert & NCAA Governance: On behalf of the undersigned, the Human Rights Campaign and Athlete Ally strongly encourage the NCAA to reaffirm its commitment to operating championships and events that are safe, healthy, and free from discrimination; and are held in sites where the dignity of everyone involved -- from athletes and coaches, to students and workers -- is assured. The NCAA has already demonstrated its commitment to ensuring safe and inclusive events. In response to state legislatures passing laws targeting LGBTQ people, the NCAA required that bidders seeking to host tournaments or events demonstrate how they will ensure the safety of all participants and spectators, and protect them from discrimination. Based on the new guidelines, the NCAA relocated events scheduled to be held in North Carolina due to the state’s discriminatory HB2 law. We commend these previous actions. With the next round of site selections underway, we urge the NCAA to reaffirm these previous commitments to nondiscrimination and inclusion by avoiding venues that are inherently unwelcoming and unsafe for LGBTQ people. Such locations include: ● Venues in cities or states with laws that sanction discrimination against LGBTQ people in goods, services and/or public accommodations; ● Venues in cities and/or states that prevent transgender people from using the bathroom and/or locker room consistent with their gender identity;1 ● Venues at schools that request Title IX exemptions to discriminate against students based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity; and ● Venues in states that preempt or override local nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. The presence of even one of these factors would irreparably undermine the NCAA’s ability to ensure the health, safety and dignity of event participants.