Bigotry, bills, and medicine: lessons from the USA

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the USA have benefited recently from unprecedented expansions in rights, with attendant improvements in health outcomes. This evolving story highlights the links between rights and health, creating opportunities to better serve the unique medical needs of transgender people. Yet the passage of House Bill-2 (HB2) in the US state of North Carolina exposes the fragility of these hard-fought gains, reminding onlookers how the policy effects of bigotry can quickly ripple through to all patients