Transgender ballot measure could affect public health, medical experts say
Massachusetts ballot measure may have serious public health implications if it repeals a state law preventing discrimination against transgender people in public places, health policy experts are warning.
“If people are not getting care when they should, delaying care, it’s going to be expensive — way higher health care costs, making hospitals more overburdened,” said Pam Klein, nurse liaison for Boston Medical Center’s Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery and the Transgender Program Manager for the Boston Health Care for the Homeless program. “When the law was passed, it was really exciting. If we actively remove those protections, what kind of message does that send to people? In that context, any additional reason to not feel like you’re welcome or to be professionally kicked out of a public place is a real concern.”
