Comment Submitted by Professor Andrew Penn
AnonymousOpposeAcademic
Summary: A nursing professor at UC San Francisco opposes the proposed revisions to the Equal Access Rule. They argue that the changes would remove protections for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, leading to increased discrimination, denial of services, and higher rates of homelessness for gender nonconforming people.
As a Professor of Nursing at UC San Francisco, I am acutely aware of how basic, essential matters such as housing have an incredibly strong impact on a person's health and well-being. As such, I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed changes to the Equal Access Rule issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This proposal would remove critical protections that ensure fair and equal access to housing and services, particularly for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. By redefining “sex” in a restrictive way and allowing providers to require documentation or proof, the rule opens the door to discrimination, denial of services, and unsafe conditions for people seeking housing assistance. The implementation of this rule would result in greater discrimination to gender nonconforming people and result in loss of housing and homelessness in this population.