- President Joe Biden will sign an executive order Wednesday to offer new initiatives for the LGBT+ community.
- Biden’s order calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to draft sample policies for states on how to expand access to comprehensive health care for LGBT+ patients.
- The measure comes as at least 20 states have passed anti-LGBT laws in recent months.
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed at supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community whose rights he said are increasingly under attack.
“My message to all the young people: Just be you,” Biden said at a rainbow-colored White House event that was part of a celebration of Pride Month. “I want you to know that, as your president, all of us on this stage have your back.”
Biden was introduced by Javier Gomez, an 18-year-old Floridian who helped organize statewide student walkouts over over the Parental Rights in Education law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in March. Dubbed “Don’t say Gay” by critics, the legislation bans teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity between kindergarten through third grade.
Gomez said the “hateful legislation” means students won’t be able to get the kind of support he received from his fifth-grade teacher when he was trying to understand his identity.
At least 20 states have passed measures involving gender-affirming health care, sports participation, or discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools, according to…
