今日吃瓜

A federal judge from Texas, Judge Reed O鈥機onnor has made a shocking ruling, stating that the inclusion of the HIV treatment was a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

This comes after companies Braidwood Management and Kelley Orthodontics brought the case to the US District Court. The companies were represented by Johnathan Mitchell, a man infamously known for his anti-abortion behaviour.

The companies filed the lawsuit, stating that PrEP鈥檚 coverage in the Affordable Care Healthcare Act (ACA) forced religious companies with anti-LGBTQ+ to finance and help 鈥渉omosexual behaviour.鈥�

Their argument was that including the PrEP treatment 鈥渇orces religious employers to provide coverage for drugs that facilitate and encourage homosexual behaviour鈥� prostitution, sexual promiscuity, and intravenous drug use.鈥�

Ruling Imposes Religious Beliefs

With Judge O鈥機onnor鈥檚 ruling, neither of the companies is required to cover PrEP costs for their employers. This ruling could have a dangerous domino effect for medical treatment coverage across the US. The community health program director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, Ivy Hill believes the ruling doesn鈥檛 protect religious freedoms.

鈥淭his ruling is about imposing extreme religious beliefs — not, as it purports, about protecting religious freedom,鈥� she told Bloomberg.

鈥淔ar-right extremist judges are attacking privacy and access to health care.鈥�

White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre responded to the ruling, reiterating the importance of the ACA.

鈥淚n addition to making affordable health insurance available to millions of Americans,聽the ACA聽has guaranteed free access to critical preventive medical services 鈥� from cancer screenings to HIV prevention drugs like PrEP,鈥� she said.

鈥淭hat guarantee is critical to the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans, particularly LGBTQI+ Americans, people of colour鈥� pregnant women, and others.鈥�

Jude O’Connor Notorious For Anti-ACA Rulings

Taking to Twitter, legal journalist Chris Geidner explained Judge O鈥機onnor鈥檚 history of ruling against ACA-related acts.

O鈥機onnor, a George W. Bush appointee, regularly rules against Democratic administrations and Democrat-backed policies 鈥� leading conservative plaintiffs to seek him out to judge their cases. He has ruled against the ACA or ACA-related policies multiple times.

鈥� Chris 鈥淪ubscribe to Law Dork!鈥� Geidner (@chrisgeidner)

LGBTQ+ Community Condemns Ruling

Several LGBTQ+ non-profit organisations have condemned the lawsuit for targeting the community while HIV treatment and accessibility to it is immensely important.

鈥淲e need a health care system that provides for both treatment of illness when people have it and also maximises our tools in preventing illness for people who need it,鈥� Prep4All managing director Kenyon Farrow said to Pink今日吃瓜.

鈥淚f that is our value as a society then preventing HIV infections should be something that we all support.鈥�