A worrying shift in the Court
We have already started to see the repercussions of this ruling from Supreme Court justices themselves. Justice Clarence Thomas, who dissented in the Obergefell v Hodges decision in 2015, which established the constitutional right for marriage equality, recently wrote a petition to have the Supreme Court reconsider that ruling. He wrote “Obergefell enables courts and governments to brand religious adherents who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as bigots, making their religious liberty concerns that much easier to dismiss.”3 After the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court became decidedly more conservative with the appointment of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, whose mentor was the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who also dissented in the 2015 case.
As we celebrate this huge win for equality in this June decision, we also must recognize that LGBTQIA+ rights are still at risk.
LGBTQIA+ patients at higher risk for litany of conditions
Even with the Bostock v Clayton County ruling, we must not forget that discrimination will continue to exist. As health care providers, we have a responsibility to advocate on behalf of our LGBTQIA+ colleagues and patients. According to the Healthy People 2020 survey, there are higher rates of obesity, tobacco dependence, and sexually transmitted infection, as well as lower adherence to cancer screening recommendations in the LGBTQIA+ community.4 These disparities are a result of systemic, legal, and social factors, including limited access to affirming and inclusive health care.5 The LGBTQIA+ community deserves better.
Take action
In the coming months and years, as the US Supreme Court hears more cases that will threaten the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, I challenge all clinicians to take action. Even the smallest of gestures, such as wearing a rainbow pin, can be transformative for our patients and within our communities.
- Advocate for your state to enact nondiscrimination laws protecting the LGBTQIA+ community. Find out if your state has a law.
- Support your LGBTQIA+ colleagues by establishing an employee support group.
- Educate yourself and your colleagues on LGBTQIA+ inclusive medical practices.