As we head into the culminating weekend for PRIDE, we wanted to share information that could be relevant to members of the LGBTQ+ Community and their loved ones.
First, in case you missed it, the Biden Administration Pardoned Ex-Service members convicted under a defunct gay sex ban so they can regain benefits. This announcement on 6/26 could possibly apply to family members and partners of the service members. Learn more about this historic new policy change and its implications for benefits here.
Second, we wanted to share a wonderful resource provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR). This new resource was developed to help LGBTQI+ older adults and advocates understand and enforce their rights when receiving health and long-term care. The LGBTQI+ Older Adults – Know Your Rights Resource Guide explains how recently updated regulations implementing the Health Care Rights Law (Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, HIPAA, and grants to HHS-funded programs reinforce important protections and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex—including sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, and sex stereotypes—and on the basis of disability, including HIV.