Sunday, March 5, 2017
Transgender Students, Faculty Push for Equal Healthcare at UofA
The Arkansas Traveler - news/campus,news/campus/
A Registered Student Organization organized a march today advocating for transgender-healthcare for university students and faculty.
The UA PRIDE Organization, said that “On January 1, 2017 the UofA system began covering critical gender affirmation treatment for transgender individuals in their employee health care plan, but just 23 days later, suspended this coverage after an injunction on the Affordable Care Act suspended the law prohibiting employers from excluding or limiting services related to gender transition,” said Katie Heath, an Officer for the organization.
While many protests and demonstrations in Fayetteville have taken place recently, today PRIDE and members of the local the transgender community, marched down Dickson Street all the way to the front lawn of the Washington County Courthouse, concluding their protest in the Fayetteville Town Square, at which point they returned to campus.
A reception was held in the Arkansas Union Theater that consisted of refreshments, and a few speakers representing the organization.
In late January, following the loss of her health coverage due to the provision of gender dysphoria being removed from the Affordable Care Act, Teri Wright has become a representative figure for the transgender-community on the university’s campus.
Wright was first to publicly voice concerns about access to healthcare for transgender students and faculty, and was present at the rally participating in the protests.
Wright, a transgender woman and U.S. Veteran, has been at odds with the university ever since the previously-stated injunction was filed by a federal judge in Texas. Wright is married to a woman who continues receive the same health-care benefits that Wright lost, but because she is a lesbian and not transgender.
Being a veteran, Wright said that even with the healthcare benefits she receives from the Veteran’s Association, she still has to come $2,000 out of pocket monthly.
“It is terrible that this even has to happen, there is blatant discrimination taking ...
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