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The Biden administration’s new ruling that students deserve to learn free from harassment, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, is enraging conservatives across the country, as the June 24 news article “In Title IX proposal, Biden seeks to strengthen protections for trans students” reported. They believe that it’s discriminatory, unnecessary and — while not actually coming out and saying it — morally offensive.
I’m a conservative, and I’m also the president of a medical school. I believe these protections are not only just, but they also can improve the delivery of high-quality health care for U.S. citizens.
The idea that there shouldn’t be rules in place to safeguard the rights of students who belong to oppressed groups is absurd. It’s especially inane at medical schools, where it has become a growing priority to attract, train and encourage students who are from these groups and are culturally competent.
According to the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, cultural competence is defined as “the ability of medical providers and organizations to effectively deliver health care services that meet the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients.”
By making it safe and welcoming for non-heterosexual students to prepare for careers in medicine, we’re making it possible for these future doctors to improve the cultural competence of their fellow heterosexual students, increase the quality of care and reduce health disparities for non-heterosexual patients. The Biden administration’s ruling that delivers such protections should be embraced, not scorned.
The writer is chief executive of Ponce Health Sciences University, a medical school, and co-founder of Tiber Health.
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