Proposed HUD rule would strip transgender protections at homeless shelters

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Proposed HUD rule would strip transgender protections at homeless shelters

By Tracy Jan May 22 at 3:05 PM

The Department of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday proposed a new rule that would weaken Obama-era protections for homeless transgender people, allowing federally funded shelters to deny people admission on religious grounds or force transgender women to share bathrooms and sleeping quarters with men.

The proposed rule comes one day after HUD Secretary Ben Carson assured members of Congress the agency had no plans to eliminate the 2012 Equal Access Rule, which barred federal housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

When questioned by Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) on HUD’s treatment of transgender people, Carson said his responsibility is to “make sure everybody is treated fairly. ”

He assured Wexton that HUD had no plans to alter the Equal Access protection, saying: "I’m not currently anticipating changing the rule. ”

The proposal is the latest move by the Trump administration to weaken protections for transgender Americans, including a Department of Defense ban on transgender troops and a Department of Health and Human Services proposal allowing medical providers to deny treatment to transgender people on religious grounds.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/22/proposed-hud-rule-would-strip-transgender-protections-homeless-shelters/

[Saviolo]

1. Only the beginning of the cruelty.

Stripping away protections for trans people because they're politically convenient. This will progress to stripping away protections for gays and lesbians as well. There are already cases in front of SCOTUS about whether or not homosexuals are covered under antidiscrimination legislation. It's happening. The casual cruelty of it.