The following was forwarded to me in an email, and I was asked to forward it further. Everyone is welcome to submit a comment, whether affiliated with the University of California or not. –Roberta Millstein
Dear UC Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community Members,
Three weeks ago, the University of California (UC) released a report with request for public comments (sample text below) that considers whether UC Health should affiliate with religious hospitals, which prohibit basic reproductive health services for women and LGBTQ+ people.
The report describes OPTION 1, supported by UC Health, in which UC would expand affiliations with restrictive religious hospitals. We endorse OPTION 2, which prohibits UC Health from affiliating with entities that discriminate against women and LGBTQ+ people by prohibiting contraception, abortion, assisted reproductive technology (e.g., IVF), and gender-affirming care for non-binary and transgender people. More details are outlined in this LA Times article and this letter to UC President Janet Napolitano. Also consider UCI Law Prof. Goodwin’s assertion that it is illegal for UC Health to restrict care based on religious directives.
The UC Regents will take up this matter in May, but first they need to hear from you! Please post a public comment by February 21 (sample text below) to tell the Regents that you support OPTION 2. UC doctors, nurses, and patients must not be subject to religious restrictions that deny women and LGBTQ+ people essential care. Share your story and why this issue is important to you.
We have serious concerns about the implications of the other option for the public health of California, given the broad reach of religious hospitals like Dignity Health. We believe it is discriminatory, dangerous, and simply bad policy to pursue affiliations that propagate healthcare inequities, based simply on institutional policy.
We also firmly believe we can collectively come up with a better solution to the problem of access in rural areas. We reject the notion that we need to pit marginalized groups against each other Ð let alone the incredible intersections of identity across our communities. We are a university founded on innovation, and we are incredibly well-equipped to deliver high-quality, comprehensive healthcare. There are plenty of women and LGBTQ+ people in rural areas and across our state who deserve better.
We all do.
Given the continuing onslaught of restrictions to comprehensive reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care nationwide, we invite you to join us in safeguarding healthcare equity. And please encourage fellow community members to do the same. #UCforEqualCare
Thank you for your engagement and support of our core UC values,
Caitlin Esparza, Shayla Griffin, Kevin Mortazavi, Raquel Selcer, Alexandra Taylor, Melissa Tribble
If/When/How, Womxn’s Law Association, and Medical Students for Choice, UC Davis University of California, Davis
Amanda Le, Julia Kim, Margaret Hinson, Matthew Arnold If/When/How and Outlaw, UCI University of California, Irvine
Aneri Suthar, Clare Glavin, Sophia Su, Hannah Oltman, Navya Nagubadi, Maddison Murphy, Katie Butler, Kendra Viloria, Sophie Stringer, Jane Ni, Audrey Faulks, Jane Ni, Martin Diaz, Millen Srivastava
University of California, Los Angeles
Sexperts
University of California, Los Angeles
UC Womxn’s Leadership Conference
University of California, Los Angeles
USAC Financial Supports Commission
University of California, Los Angeles
Matthew J. Ryan
Graduate & Postdoc Queer Alliance
University of California, San Francisco
Sarah Rosenwohl-Mack
University of California, San Francisco
Merissa Ferrar
Gender and Sexual Diversity in Dentistry Alliance, UCSF
University of California, San Francisco
SAMPLE TEXT:
The University of California must not affiliate with health systems that use religious directives to prohibit essential medical care for women and LGBTQ+ people. I support OPTION 2 in this report because UC patients should not receive care that is restricted based on Catholic religious doctrine. UC doctors, nurses, and students should not be asked to work in hospitals where religious policies prevent them from providing scientifically-based standard of care services. While other states are working to decrease access to women’s reproductive services and lack protections for LGBTQ+ people, California’s public university system must be strong and unequivocal in its support of contraception, abortion, and gender-affirming care
Davisite 
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