Sarah Kate Ellis, President and CEO of GLAAD, the world’s LGBTQ media advocacy organization, issued the following statement after the United States Senate voted to confirm U.S. Representative Tom Price as next Secretary of Health and Human Services.
“Tom Price’s confirmation is the latest in a string of cabinet appointments whose discriminatory records should bar them from even being considered for these prominent roles. Finding inclusive and affordable health services is already a challenge for many LGBTQ people – something that Tom Price is poised to make even more difficult as Secretary of Health and Human Services.”
BACKGROUND: Tom Price, No Friend to LGBTQ Community
Price On Marriage Equality
Price Called the Supreme Court’s History Ruling on Marriage Equality “A Sad Day for Marriage.” “Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court serves only as further encouragement to use the court system as a systematic springboard to enact agendas outside the democratic and legislative structures of government. Thirty States have held statewide ballots banning gay marriage since the year 2000, and yet legislating from the bench has superseded both public approval and our elected representatives. This is not only a sad day for marriage, but a further judicial destruction of our entire system of checks and balances.” [Tom Price’s Congressional Office Website, 06.23.15]
Price on Transgender Equality
Price Said the Federal Government’s Guidelines on Transgender Equality was “Absurd.” "It is absurd that we need a 'federal restroom policy' for our nation's schools. This is yet another abuse and overreach of power by the Obama Administration, and a clear invasion of privacy. Schools should not have to fear retaliation for failure to comply," Price wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.” [Project Q Atlanta, 05.16.16]
Price’s Votes on LGBTQ Issues
Price Voted Against All Important LGBTQ Bills, Including ENDA and DADT. Congressman Tom Price voted in favor of a Federal Marriage Amendment that would have denied same-sex couples the right to marry, voted against LGBTQ-inclusive hate crimes legislation, voted against the repeal of the military's discriminatory 'Don’t Ask Don’t Tell' policy, and voted against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, which aimed to provide nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ employees. [Vote Smart]
Price Called Voted Against the Matthew Shepard Act, Calling It “Thought Crimes.” "’The inclusion of 'thought crimes' legislation in what is otherwise a bipartisan bill for troop funding is an absolute disgrace,’ said Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, head of the GOP conservative caucus. [CBS News, 10.09.09]
According to Price, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal was “Shameful.” “The consequences of repeal go far beyond just allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly but to questions about same-sex marriage, family benefits, and rights of conscience. The military should never be used as a testing ground for social policy, especially not during wartime…This is a shameful attempt to circumvent our Armed Forces, and I do not support it." [Tom Price’s Congressional Office, 05.27.10]
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