My name is not important, but my story is, and it could be anyone's story. On July 23, 2024, at 2:30 pm, my life was supposed to change for the better. The phone rang, and it was Penn State St. Joseph Medical Center, Berk's County, giving me an arrival time for my bilateral, double incision, mastectomy surgery scheduled for the next day. This medically necessary procedure was a pivotal step in my journey towards gender affirmation.

However, less than two hours later, my joy turned into frustration. Two hospital Administrators called to cancel my surgery, stating it did not align with the hospital regulations, as St. Joseph was a Catholic administrated hospital. I was left dumbfounded, distressed and sadly, not alone. Many in our community face such barriers nationwide.

I was scheduled with a surgeon that has operating privileges at St. Joseph and who had been doing these surgeries for the past 2.5 years.  When my surgeon establish his operating privileges he had conversations with the administration detailing the type of procedures he would possibly be performing including gender affirming care and received permission to do so.  With this knowledge in hand, I had no reason to believe there would be any issues regarding my surgery.  Especially since only 2 weeks prior to my scheduled surgery date, my surgeon had performed a gender affirming surgery at St. Joseph Medical center.

As a recipient of federal funding, St. Joseph Medical Center has a legal obligation to abide by the Affordable Care Act 1557 law. This law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs or activities. The denial of gender affirming care directly opposes the the ACA 1557.

Our community in Central PA believes in justice and equality for all, regardless of our gender identity. Let's fight for the application of ACA 1557 law consistently in all Federally funded medical centers, displacing regulations detrimental to our diversity and inclusion. Adding weight to our plea is vital. Please sign this petition, and together let's advocate for equal healthcare for all.