
Joe Biden has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, with his administration taking several steps to advance LGBTQ+ equality. On his first day in office, Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review and revise policies that discriminated against individuals based on gender identity or sexual orientation. He has also urged Congress to pass the Equality Act, which would provide long-overdue federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. Additionally, Biden has appointed several LGBTQ+ officials to his administration, including the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, and the first openly transgender four-star admiral, Dr. Rachel Levine. However, Biden's support for the LGBTQ+ community has also been criticised as performative, with some arguing that his administration has not done enough to address the specific needs and issues faced by the community.
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Biden's support for LGBTQ+ military members
President Joe Biden has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, and this extends to his support for LGBTQ+ military members. Within his first week in office, Biden repealed the discriminatory ban on transgender people serving openly in the military. This discriminatory ban, known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", was instituted in 1993 and allowed LGBTQ+ troops to serve only if they did not disclose their sexual orientation. Biden's repeal of this ban was a significant step towards ensuring that all members of the military are treated equally, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In addition to repealing the ban, Biden has also taken other actions to support LGBTQ+ military members. He has pardoned thousands of former service members who were convicted under the now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex. This pardon recognizes and rectifies the injustice faced by LGBTQ+ service members who were discriminated against and punished for their sexual orientation.
Biden has also appointed several LGBTQ+ officials to his administration, including Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness, Shawn Skelly, the first openly transgender Pentagon official, and Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person ever confirmed by the U.S. Senate. These appointments signal Biden's commitment to diversity and inclusion within his administration.
Furthermore, Biden has directed the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide benefits to service members who were discharged due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. This action ensures that LGBTQ+ service members have access to the same benefits and support as their heterosexual counterparts.
Biden has also spoken out against discriminatory state laws that target transgender children and their parents, including those that ban access to medical care and support at school. He has charged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with protecting LGBTQ+ children and families from these discriminatory attacks and instructed HHS to release new sample policies to expand access to comprehensive healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients.
Overall, Biden's actions as president demonstrate his commitment to supporting and protecting LGBTQ+ military members and ensuring that they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
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Biden's views on gender-affirming care for youth
President Biden has been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, and his administration has taken several steps to promote access to gender-affirming care for youth. On his first day in office, Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review existing regulations and policies to "prevent and combat discrimination" based on gender identity and sexual orientation. This order states that "people should be able to access healthcare...without being subjected to sex discrimination".
The Biden administration has also responded to state-level policies that restrict access to gender-affirming care for youth. For example, in Texas, Governor Abbott issued a directive defining certain gender-affirming services for youth as child abuse. The Biden administration denounced this directive as discriminatory and affirmed its support for gender-affirming care for transgender children.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also taken steps to protect LGBTQ+ youth. They released a statement reaffirming "HHS's commitment to supporting and protecting transgender youth and their parents, caretakers, and families". HHS also issued an Information Memorandum to state child welfare agencies, writing that child welfare systems should advance safety and support for LGBTQ+ youth, including through access to gender-affirming care.
Additionally, HHS's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has included gender identity and sexual orientation in its interpretation and enforcement of Section 1557's prohibition against sex discrimination in health programs and activities receiving federal funding. This marks a reversal of Trump-era policies that eliminated these protections.
The Biden administration has also promoted resources on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, including an explainer written by HHS that discusses when and how puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries are received by minors.
Despite the administration's broad support for gender-affirming care, there has been some controversy regarding gender-affirming surgery for minors. The White House has stated that it opposes gender-affirming surgery for minors, believing that these surgeries should be limited to adults. However, they continue to support other forms of gender-affirming care for minors, which represents a continuum of care.
Overall, the Biden administration has taken a strong stance against discriminatory legislation targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, including youth, and has worked to expand access to gender-affirming care and protect the rights of transgender youth.
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Biden's stance on LGBTQ+ discrimination
Joe Biden has taken a strong stance against LGBTQ+ discrimination, both in the US and abroad. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review and revise policies to ensure they did not discriminate on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. He has also repeatedly called for the passage of the Equality Act, which would add specific protections for LGBTQ+ people to the Civil Rights Act.
Biden's administration has worked to establish anti-discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as greater access to gender-affirming care. He has also urged federal agencies to implement greater protections, in contrast to the Trump administration, which was criticised for dismantling them.
Biden has also spoken out against anti-LGBTQ+ violence and supported the rights of LGBTQ+ people to serve openly in the military, repealing a Trump-era ban on transgender people serving. He has further supported the rights of LGBTQ+ youth, addressing discriminatory legislative attacks and directing key agencies to protect children and families.
In addition, Biden has appointed a historically diverse administration, with 14-15% of his appointees identifying as LGBTQ%. This includes the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, and the first openly transgender person ever confirmed by the US Senate, Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine.
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Biden's approach to LGBTQ+ conversion therapy
President Biden has taken a strong stance against LGBTQ+ conversion therapy, recognising it as a harmful and discredited practice that seeks to suppress or change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ+ people. In June 2022, he signed an executive order to protect children across America and put an end to conversion therapy, charging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with leading an initiative to reduce youth exposure to the practice.
The HHS will clarify that federally-funded programs cannot offer conversion therapy and will increase public awareness about its harms, as well as provide training and technical assistance to healthcare providers. Additionally, Biden has encouraged the Federal Trade Commission to consider whether conversion therapy constitutes an unfair or deceptive act and whether consumer warnings should be issued.
Biden has also directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and HHS to develop an action plan to promote an end to conversion therapy worldwide and ensure that US foreign aid dollars do not fund the practice. Furthermore, the executive order includes measures to support LGBTQ+ youth in foster care, prevent homelessness, and improve access to federal programs.
Biden's administration has also taken steps to strengthen civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, end the ban on transgender service members, and advance human rights for LGBTQ+ people in US foreign policy. They have also appointed several LGBTQ+ officials to high-ranking positions, including the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, and the first openly transgender person ever confirmed by the US Senate, Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine.
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Biden's commitment to LGBTQ+ civil rights
Joe Biden has demonstrated his commitment to LGBTQ+ civil rights in several ways since taking office. On his first day as president, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to review and revise policies that discriminated against people based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. This was followed by several agencies releasing guidance and formal regulations clarifying that "sex discrimination" includes discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Biden has also repeatedly called for the passage of the Equality Act, which would add specific protections for LGBTQ+ people to the Civil Rights Act. He has also spoken out against anti-LGBTQ+ violence and supported youth access to gender-affirming care.
In June 2022, Biden signed an executive order advancing LGBTQI+ equality during Pride Month. The order included addressing discriminatory legislative attacks on LGBTQI+ children and families, preventing "conversion therapy", safeguarding healthcare and programs designed to prevent youth suicide, and supporting LGBTQI+ children and families.
Biden has also appointed a historically diverse administration, with 14-15% of his appointees identifying as LGBTQ+. This includes the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary, Pete Buttigieg; the first openly transgender person confirmed by the Senate, Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine; and the first openly lesbian American to achieve the rank of Ambassador, Chantale Wong.
Biden has also worked to establish anti-discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as greater access to gender-affirming care. This has earned him the endorsement of major LGBTQ+ advocacy groups such as the Human Rights Campaign.
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Frequently asked questions
Biden has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, regularly using his office to express his support and calling out issues faced by the community. His administration has actively worked to establish anti-discrimination protections for the community and expand their access to gender-affirming care. Trump, on the other hand, has been criticised for dismantling anti-discrimination protections and placing restrictions on transgender service members. While Trump has been more accepting of LGBTQ+ issues than some of his Republican counterparts, his stances, especially regarding transgender rights, stand in stark contrast to Biden's.
Biden has taken numerous actions to support the LGBTQ+ community. He has signed executive orders to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, addressed discriminatory legislative attacks, and banned conversion therapy in federally-funded programs. He has also urged Congress to pass the Equality Act, which would provide long-overdue federal civil rights protections for the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, his administration has expanded support for trans veterans and provided gender-affirming medical care for service members.
During Pride Month, Biden has celebrated the LGBTQ+ community by flying Pride flags at the White House and federal buildings across the country. He has also used this time to sign executive orders advancing LGBTQ+ equality, such as the Executive Order Advancing Equality for LGBTQ+ Individuals, which includes initiatives to protect children from conversion therapy and address discriminatory legislative attacks.