The Biden administration has effectively announced that it wants to punish doctors and hospitals that refuse to perform so-called "gender-transition" procedures, even if those objections are matters of conscience or based on religion. This is a blatant attack against America's most sacred liberties, which are given by God and guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
In 2016, President Barack Obama's administration issued a despicable "mandate," demanding that healthcare professionals provide transgender surgeries. This decree did not provide for exemptions based on conscience or religion. Thankfully, defenders of freedom immediately challenged this unconstitutional action; an association of more than 19,000 organizations, nine states, and multiple faith-based groups challenged the mandate in two different courts, both of which struck it down. A website run by our friends at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty explains that the courts' held that "the government cannot force religious doctors and hospitals to perform gender transition procedures in violation of their conscience and professional medical judgment."
Undeterred by these rulings, the Biden administration has filed an appeal to the most recent decision, which came in February from a district court in North Dakota. It is shameful that President Biden and his administration are continuing to attack religious liberty, and the decision to do so hurts all Americans. Becket senior counsel Luke Goodrich said it best: "The plaintiffs are religious doctors, hospitals, and clinics who joyfully serve ALL patients regardless of sex or gender identity. They routinely provide top-notch care to transgender patients for everything from cancer to the common cold. They also provide millions of dollars in free and low-cost care to the elderly, poor, and underserved—care that is jeopardized by the government's attempt to punish them with multi-million dollar penalties."
The government has no right to intrude on the faith-based convictions of religious healthcare providers. It seems Secretary Becerra needs to be reminded of this simple truth. You can contact the Health and Human Services headquarters by calling 1-877-696-6775.
