Action Alert: Changes to FMLA impact Trans People and their Families

COLAGE wants to share this action alert from our friends at the National Center for Transgender Equality:
I wanted to make you aware of some changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that could impact the lives of transgender people. The FMLA was enacted in 1993 to ensure that employees would be able to take unpaid leave from work in certain circumstances related to medical care for them or their families. The emphasis on medical privacy in the original FMLA is especially vital for transgender people.
However, on November 17, 2008, the Department of Labor published final regulations for the FMLA that erode medical privacy and could have long-lasting adverse effects on transgender people when they take effect as planned on January 16, 2009. These new regulations appear to be part of the Bush Administration’s final effort to enshrine ideologically driven policies in advance of the Obama Administration taking office.
As we at COLAGE know, many states do not protect against gender-based employment discrimination. These new regulations give employers excessive access to transgender people’s medical records, leaving our family members vulnerable to transphobic employers. Regulations that impact LGBTQ parents privacy can threaten the financial security and well-being of our families.

Write to your Member of Congress and ask them to repeal these harmful regulations. Find out more through the National Center for Transgender Equality.