26/03/2021
Help our Transgender Brothers & Sisters!
URGENT: Hawaii Residents, LGBT Community and Allies! Please share this post and more importantly please write, call and email your Hawaii State Senators on ALL Islands before March 28th! Our transgender community already faces harm and now the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii has amended a Senate Resolution that would cause them further harm and obstacles without any meaningful consultation or conversations. Our transgender community NEEDS all of us to act and help NOW! Link to Senators contact below. Sample Letter:
To the Honorable Senator____________:
I am urgently writing today to ask you to OPPOSE SCR161/SR126. This resolution was amended from its original form and now in its current form due to amendments by the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii will cause more harm to Hawaii’s transgender community.
WHEREAS: (in no order of importance)
1. The LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii DOES NOT represent Hawaii’s Transgender Community or the majority of Hawaii’s LGBT community.
2. The LGBT Caucus DOES NOT work with nor interact with our transgender community on a frequent basis, unlike other organizations such as the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center.
3. The LGBT Caucus lacks diversity and is not representative of Hawaii’s LGBTQIA+ community.
4. This amended resolution is a delay tactic and not legally necessary.
5. All gender transition (or gender Identity) related care is medically necessary. The original form of SCR161/SR126 is a clarification of the current law and NOT a mandate to cover more. Insurance Providers are already required to cover healthcare services related to gender transition (gender identity) treatments as medically necessary. Denial of such treatments or care would be denial based on gender identity. Because transgender people seek such services, treatment and surgeries due to their identity, an Insurance Providers denial of coverage would be discrimination based on gender identity.
6. Despite legal requirements, Insurance Providers deny transgender people medically necessary care and claim surgeries, such as, breast augmentation are cosmetic.
7. Insurance Providers also claim that providing such care is to costly, though multiple studies have shown that transition related surgeries DO NOT cost those companies more.
8. When ACT 135 passed in 2016 there was no audit required even though it was presumed that it would provide access to “more care”.
THEREFORE, upon the floor hearing of SCR161/SR126 please VOTE NO, so that Hawaii’s transgender community is not further harmed or delayed further care.
Very Yours Truly,
(Signature)
Address
Phone Number
List and contacts of Senators. https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/members/legislators.aspx?chamber=S
