Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Trump Administration Revokes Transgender Health Protection

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - The Trump administration Friday finalized a regulation
   that overturns Obama-era protections for transgender people against sex
   discrimination in health care.

   The policy shift, long sought by the president's religious and socially
   conservative supporters, defines gender as a person's biological sex.
   The Obama regulation defined gender as a person's internal sense of
   being male, female, neither or a combination.

   LGBTQ groups say explicit protections are needed for people seeking
   sex-reassignment treatment, and even for transgender people who need
   medical care for common conditions such as diabetes or heart problems.

   Behind the dispute over legal rights is a medically recognized
   condition called "gender dysphoria" -- discomfort or distress caused by
   a discrepancy between the gender that a person identifies as and the
   gender at birth. Consequences can include severe depression. Treatment
   can range from sex-reassignment surgery and hormones to people changing
   their outward appearance by adopting a different hairstyle or clothing.

   Many social conservatives disagree with the concept.

   Women's groups say the new regulations also undermine access to
   abortion, which is a legal medical procedure.

.