DETROIT - Wayne State University Law School hosted the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics Transgender Health Equity and the Law symposium on campus and in a virtual format Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. The daylong discussion attracted speakers and attendees from 17 states and three countries. 

The symposium unveiled a special issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics devoted to transgender health equity and the law, with panels from authors and local researchers on a broad array of topics, including policy as a driver of healthy equity, access to appropriate health care, reproductive health and international human rights.   

Speakers included: 

• Alexander Chen, Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic

• Aoife O’Connor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health  

• Benjamin Mason Meier, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health 

• Florence Ashley, University of Toronto Faculty of Law 

• Kellan Baker, Whitman-Walker Institute 

• Ames Simmons, Duke University School of Law 

• Elizabeth Kukura, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law  

• M. Killian Kinny, Pacific University Oregon 

• Jamison Green, former president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health 

According to Associate Professor of Law and Social Work Heather Walter-McCabe, 2022 has seen the highest number of bills introduced aimed at LGBTQ populations in recent history, with many of them targeting transgender populations. Just last week in Michigan, House Bill 6454 was introduced, which, if passed, would make seeking gender-affirming care for youth child abuse punishable by up to life in prison, potentially.  

“As bills are being examined, particularly ones aimed at health care access, it is important for those discussing them to understand the medically accepted standards of care for transgender populations and the health disparities which they experience,” said Walter-McCabe. “This symposium provided a solid foundation of evidence which can be helpful in making such determinations, whether at a legislative, organizational or community level.”  

Walter-McCabe continued, “At a time like this when states across the U.S. are considering policy impacting transgender communities, discussion at the JLME Transgender Health Equity and the Law conference provided an important opportunity to examine the very real individual and public health consequences of such laws. Wayne State University — with its commitment to interdisciplinary work — was honored to host this event. It is hoped that the information provided by scholars from a variety of professional specialties will assist those who care about health policy and those in practice to do so with an evidence-based lens.”  

The co-sponsored symposium was a collaboration between Wayne State University Law School; American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics; and Harvard Law School LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic to pose opportunities for moving forward with a more equitable approach to policy impacting transgender populations. Additional interdisciplinary support was provided by moderators from the Wayne State University School of Social Work and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  

For details about the event and speakers, contact Jennifer Kennedy. 

Contact: Jennifer Kennedy 

Phone: 313-577-4629 

Email: jennifer.kennedy2@wayne.edu