June 22, 2015
By: Rhett Buttle, Director, Private Sector Engagement
Danny Garvin was a twenty-year-old living in New York City when he saw something happening at the Stonewall Inn. Over the next six days, he would be drawn into the riots that would inspire a generation of Americans to mobilize for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. He later described those June days in 1969 as the moment where “we became a people.”
“All of a sudden, I had brothers and sisters,” he said, “which I didn’t have before.”
Danny Garvin passed away just this December, but every June we carry on his legacy, and the legacy of the countless men and women who made a stand for equality. During Pride month, we remind our LGBT friends and family that we are one American family.
The LGBT community has contributed so much to the rich tapestry of our history, and over the past few years, we have taken historic steps to protect the health and well-being of our family, friends and fellow Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Before the Affordable Care Act, too many Americans were denied access to health coverage, faced prohibitive costs for preventive services, or were priced out of coverage based on gender or sexual orientation.
But today, after our second successful Open Enrollment, we have seen the largest drop in the uninsured in forty years. Millions of Americans, many of them part of the LGBT community, have affordable, quality health coverage for the first time in years.
The Affordable Care Act requires that insurance plans cover preventive services without cost-sharing. Today, more than 137 million Americans have access to these essential services like flu shots, blood pressure screenings, and HIV screenings without any additional charges.
And thanks to protections provided by the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer deny health coverage or charge higher premiums based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Your gender and who you love are no longer preexisting conditions.
But we realize that there is more work ahead. Just last week, Secretary Burwell and I met with a group of over 20 LGBT advocates to discuss how we can continue to make more progress.
READ MORE: Celebrating LGBT Pride Month“All of a sudden, I had brothers and sisters,” he said, “which I didn’t have before.”
Danny Garvin passed away just this December, but every June we carry on his legacy, and the legacy of the countless men and women who made a stand for equality. During Pride month, we remind our LGBT friends and family that we are one American family.
The LGBT community has contributed so much to the rich tapestry of our history, and over the past few years, we have taken historic steps to protect the health and well-being of our family, friends and fellow Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
Before the Affordable Care Act, too many Americans were denied access to health coverage, faced prohibitive costs for preventive services, or were priced out of coverage based on gender or sexual orientation.
But today, after our second successful Open Enrollment, we have seen the largest drop in the uninsured in forty years. Millions of Americans, many of them part of the LGBT community, have affordable, quality health coverage for the first time in years.
The Affordable Care Act requires that insurance plans cover preventive services without cost-sharing. Today, more than 137 million Americans have access to these essential services like flu shots, blood pressure screenings, and HIV screenings without any additional charges.
And thanks to protections provided by the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer deny health coverage or charge higher premiums based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Your gender and who you love are no longer preexisting conditions.
But we realize that there is more work ahead. Just last week, Secretary Burwell and I met with a group of over 20 LGBT advocates to discuss how we can continue to make more progress.
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