Roundup: Virginia Pro-Choice Groups Ask for Equal Regulation of Outpatient Clinics

Beth Saunders

Same-sex marriages won't be allowed in California during Prop 8 appeal, international transgender news, trade schools cannot discriminate against applicants with HIV or AIDS, and Virginia pro-choice groups ask for new regulations to be applied to all outpatient surgery centers, not just abortion clinics.

Same-sex marriages won’t be allowed in California during Prop 8 appeal, international transgender news, trade schools cannot discriminate against applicants with HIV or AIDS, and Virginia pro-choice groups ask for new regulations to be applied to all outpatient surgery centers, not just abortion clinics.

  • The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a request from plaintiffs in California’s Proposition 8 lawsuit that asked for same-sex marriages to be legal during the appeal process. The California Supreme Court will take up the case in September.
  • In international transgender news, Portugal has simplified the process by which an individual can legally change name and/or gender, while Lithuania has proposed banning gender reassignment surgery in the country.  
  • The Department of Justice has sent letters to states and territories with reminders that the law does not permit discrimination against people with HIV or AIDS in trade school applications. A hairstyling school in Puerto Rico recently denied admission to an applicant who was HIV-positive.
  • New regulations in Virginia permit the state to regulate abortion clinics as ambulatory surgical centers, which could close the majority of clinics in the state. Pro-choice groups have written a letter to the Governor Bob McDonnell asking him to apply the regulations to all outpatient clinics, including those that perform plastic surgery, colonoscopies, and laser eye surgery. The letter asks, “If you truly believe that current standards in Virginia are lax and that there is a health and safety concern relating to outpatient care, why is it that only abortion clinics must meet this new standard and not ALL outpatient facilities?”

Mar 24

Mar 23