Skip to main content


U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government
              Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you knowDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
                 A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
                  HTTPS**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                 A **lock** (A locked padlock) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
  Menu Close
          HHS Search block
    Search
        








  
  
    

  
      

                                      About HHS
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Programs & Services
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Grants & Contracts
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Laws & Regulations Breadcrumb
    Home
                              Blog
                              Celebrating Pride Month with Action
 Navigate to:
  Categories
    Coronavirus (12)
        Health IT (13)
        Fraud (1)
        Grants and Contracts (1)
        Research (5)
        Prevention and Wellness (21)
        Health Data (6)
        Holidays and Observances (17)
        Global Health (4)
        Public Health and Safety (28)
        HIPAA (4)
        Programs for Families and Children (6)
        Americans with Disabilities Act (1)
        Mental Health and Substance Abuse (1)
        Vaccines (1)
        HHS Administrative (4)
        LGBT (1)
        Emergency Preparedness and Response (1)
        Drug Pricing (5)Text resize icon

                    




Celebrating Pride Month with Action








  
  
    

  
      
**June 20, 2024**
                |
        By:  Melanie    Fontes Rainer, Director for Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

  
**Summary:**
  





This Pride Month, I am reflecting on the stories I have heard from LGBTQI+ communities across the country.


      This Pride Month, I am reflecting on the stories I have heard from LGBTQI+ communities across the country. I’ve heard from parents who had to relocate—leaving their homes, friends, and lives—for their children’s safety and health. I think about the parents who cannot afford to leave their communities and are subjected to harassment daily for simply loving their kids. I feel for our trans and nonbinary siblings who bear the stress and carry the burden perpetuated by hateful rhetoric and laws. I am buoyed by the advocates and communities nationwide who show up and stand up to fight for equality. I feel joy for the members of the LGBTQI+ community who are deeply proud of their identity and live their full lives with pride.I stand with them in this fight. I want us to collectively build a more equitable and inclusive future—where health care is accessible and free from discrimination for all. That’s why this Pride Month, I am especially proud of taking one step further in ensuring access to care for LGBTQI+ Americans. On April 26, my office, the Office for Civil Rights, issued a final rule implementing Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. This rule prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics) in health care. It will affect so many people across the country—including those in the LGBTQI+ community.The Rule helps to protect individuals against discrimination in all covered health programs and activities at HHS, regardless of the type of care they are seeking or accessing. The Rule prohibits categorical denials of health care services and coverage based on an individual’s sex including sexual orientation and gender identity. Our goal is to make sure you can go to the doctor without fear of stigma or discrimination. After hearing from over 85,000 of you—I want to thank many of you for commenting on the rule. It is hearing from you—and what you’ve experienced and your stories—that inform and shape how the rule is drafted.Another rule I am proud of is the Section 504 Rule, which advances equity and bolsters protections for people with disabilities. Among other protections, the rule prohibits denying medical treatment based on biases or stereotypes about a patient’s disability, including HIV status or gender dysphoria. In addition, our HHS Grants Rule protects LGBTQI+ people by clarifying and reaffirming that HHS grant recipients of specified grants are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in *Bostock v. Clayton County*.While cruel legislation is being passed in too many states, I want to remind you that you do have rights, enforced through Federal laws like the ones I mentioned above. I also want to highlight that you have privacy rights. My office enforces the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, which provides you with important rights, including your ability to keep your protected health information private and access a copy of your records. It’s very important to be able to access your own medical information when you need to—especially should care be restricted in your state and you can get care in another.If your provider has denied you access to a copy of your medical record or if you have experienced unlawful discrimination in your pursuit of health care or human services, please let us know by submitting a complaint to my office: https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/Additionally, as part of the LGBTQI+ Community Safety Partnership established in June 2023 with HHS, DOJ, and DHS, OCR helped update a White House resource guide to ensure the security, safety, and well-being of the LGBTQI+ community.In the spirit of Pride Month, you should all be proud of the contributions you have made to help HHS create a more just and inclusive health care system that serves and meets the needs of everyone equitably. Through partnership and enforcement, OCR helps protect access to health care, because all people deserve health care that is safe, culturally competent, and free from discrimination. I stand with you and work every day to ensure we build a stronger foundation for our health care system to support a healthier, more equitable future for all!I joined the LGBTQIA+ Community Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas for a roundtable discussion on advancing nondiscrimination in access to health care.

      I joined the LGBTQIA+ Community Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas for a roundtable discussion on advancing nondiscrimination in access to health care.OCR Team and I joined Waves Ahead in San Juan, alongside Puerto Rico Senators Ana I. Rivera Lassen and Hector Santiago, to discuss health and social services for LGBTQI+ older adults.

      OCR Team and I joined Waves Ahead in San Juan, alongside Puerto Rico Senators Ana Irma Rivera Lassén and Héctor Santiago, to discuss health and social services for LGBTQI+ older adults.
  Posted In:
  Holidays and ObservancesSign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases

Sign Up







  Subscribe to RSS
    

      Receive latest updates

                    
  


Related Blog Posts
    

      OCR Celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
  

Celebrating the Importance of Second Chance Month
  

Syphilis Is a Public Health Priority Back to top
    Contact HHS
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Careers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      HHS FAQs
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Nondiscrimination NoticeHHS Archive
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Accessibility Statement
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Privacy Policy
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Viewers & PlayersBudget/Performance
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Inspector General
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Web Site Disclaimers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      EEO/No Fear ActFOIA
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      The White House
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      USA.gov
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
        Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases.

Sign Up
  HHS Headquarters
          200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
                  Washington, D.C. 20201
                  Toll Free Call Center: 1-877-696-6775​ Disclaimer Policy: Links with this icon () mean that you are leaving the HHS website. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cannot guarantee the accuracy of a non-federal website.
                  Linking to a non-federal website does not mean that HHS or its employees endorse the sponsors, information, or products presented on the website. HHS links outside of itself to provide you with further information.
                  You will be bound by the destination website's privacy policy and/or terms of service when you follow the link.
                  HHS is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on private websites. For more information on HHS's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
 Continue
                  Go back