LGBTQ rights group suspends Dallas hospitals from equality index after cuts to transgender care

The Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ rights organization, has suspended two Dallas hospitals from its scoring system on health care inclusivity after the facilities shuttered the state’s only comprehensive medical program for transgender children to new patients. In a letter to leadership at Children’s Health and University of Texas Southwestern sent Wednesday afternoon, HRC said the program’s closure and lack of public communication on the decision led it to suspend the hospitals from both the biennial Healthcare Equality Index 2020 and “top performer” designations. Genecis — which stands for Gender Education and Care, Interdisciplinary Support — was a highly acclaimed seven-year-old program created by the hospitals to provide transgender and gender-diverse youth with health care, including mental health counseling and hormone therapy.

“The decisions that have been made regarding the provision of medical care for transgender and gender-diverse youth put the lives of young people at risk — and require us to take action with regard to both Children’s Medical Center Dallas and UT Southwestern’s Healthcare Equality Index status,” said Jay Brown, HRC Foundation senior vice president for programs, research and training. Until this change, Children’s Health and UT Southwestern were listed as scoring 90 and 95 out of 100, respectively, on HRC’s Health Care Equality Index for their focus on care for LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees. On its website, UT Southwestern points to the “top performer” designation as a proof of its focus on equity and access. Late Wednesday night, the two hospitals released a written statement, saying that they “remain committed to providing care for and a welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or condition, and to ensuring our patients receive the care they need. The safety and privacy of our patients is our top priority.”