Liana Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, joins Cheddar News to discuss how overturning of Roe V. Wade impacts the LGBTQ+ community. 

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How Roe V. Wade Reversal Impacts LGBTQ+ Community

for more. I want to go ahead and bring in the ceo of folks. Health liana Guzman, thank you so much for joining us today. Welcome to the show. How does this ruling uh really impact much more than just cis gender women? Because as we've been having these conversations, I think for a lot of americans, the first thing that comes to mind is uh the typical image of a woman and we haven't really thought about those who are in marginalized communities like the trans community. Tell us more here. Yeah. Well look, I I'd like to start by saying that this is not about saving lives or protecting States rights, right. If that were the case, the court would not have struck down new york's gun control law 24 hours earlier. This is really about controlling poor and marginalized folks across the United States, which I know you all were talking about a few minutes ago. Um and it really rejects the privacy and autonomy which are so central to our constitution, right? And as is often the case, the people who are going to most deeply feel this impact our folks who are poor and marginalized and trans and non binary folks, you know, fall into that category. It is a community that experiences discrimination at much higher levels Across every aspect of their lives, but also in their health care settings, 50% of members of our community have reported being discriminated against in a healthcare setting and we all know that for every person that's reporting there are many, many more who are not reporting that discrimination. So our health experiences already fraught um and and filled with that discrimination and violence and this is only going to make it harder for us to get the care that we deserve. The other thing which biden actually mentioned in his speeches. This to me is a shot across the bow. This is this is just the start of what I think will become a very slippery slope right? And so you saw in the decision, you know that that you know they call out the fact that we should actually revisit marriage equality. Um and so I think it is as much about removing the rights of you know this is this is a decision that actually is about removing all of our rights um and opening the door to that. So um you know it's a it's a very scary moment I think for all americans it should be. But I think it is especially so for those of us in the L. G. B. T. Q. Community and particularly trans and non binary folk who need to access this character. Yeah and there's a lot of misinformation claiming it's just women who need abortions? We typically say women but also people who are pregnant and when in fact all genders need access to this kind of care. How does roe v wade being overturned to make it even more difficult for the L. G. B. T. Q. Plus community to access this care. Well look I think the reality is, you know, as I said, we already experience tremendous discrimination in in our health care settings. Um and what this does, I think is empower clinicians who may already um you know, lean toward that discriminatory side too, you know, it arms them with the ability to turn away people who need this care. I also think, you know, the reality is um the way that we talk about it, I think is is an example of what is so difficult about, you know, being a member of this community, this, you know, trans and non binary folks get pregnant. You know, one of the things that we talk a lot to our members about is cryopreservation as people um you know, our our beginning their their process of transition because people want to build families and I think the way that we build families needs to be a deeply personal decision and and and um you know, really has nothing to do with whether or not you are a cis woman. And so um you know, I think for for our community it takes what is already a very discriminatory experience. I think it creates um you know, a judicial layer for that discrimination. Um and as I said, I also think it is a sign of other things to come for our community around our ability, you know, to love whom we want to love and be able to show that love, you know, via marriage and, you know, and other rights really appreciate that perspective. Liana Guzman thank you so much for joining us from folks House.