NEW YORK – Lawyers representing the US Catholic bishops have written to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to express concerns about language in a proposed regulation that mandates non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

The proposed HHS regulation states: “It is the policy of the HHS that no person otherwise eligible will be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination in the administration of HHS programs and services based on non-merit factors such as race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.”