Obama Administration and Regulatory Reform

[Jeff Burgess]

By now, all of you have heard that the Obama administration is going to re-examine Federal Regulations to remove inequities and unnecessary regulations.  Many of you who watch or listen to people like Glen Beck, who are sensitized to the retoric, were immediately put on your guard.  Well, here we go again! 

 

This week,  the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed new regulations intended to ensure that its core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

 

Up until now, sexual orientation of "gender identity has not been included in Federal Regulation as a protected class.  This is not done by legislation or even by judicial fiat.  This is just making it up as they go along!  The Administration is throwing another bone to a special interest group that was upset with them over the gay marriage issue.

 

Do you don't think this has anything to do with gay marriage? As they fill the Federal Regulations with protections for this group or that group, do you think that the state's rights on the issue won't be trampled in the process? 

 

Check this out: "HUD is conducting the first-ever national study of discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the rental and sale of housing."  Notice the buzzwords they use just before they extend unequal protections under the law?

 

And please don't throw the homophobe insult at me with the implyed latent homosexual innuendo.  It is old and tired and really not what we should be grading people on in public discourse.   My sexual orientation and gender identity is between my wife and me and, like yours and theirs, is nobody's business.

 

This is just another example of of the vast expansion of the liberal progressive framework that will be mandated into your lives and you will have to pay for it and be penalized by it.

 

Below is the full text of the article. 

  

‘Fair housing’ to include sexual orientation
WASHINGTON – Jan. 21, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed new regulations intended to ensure that its core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“This is a fundamental issue of fairness,” says HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “We have a responsibility to make certain that public programs are open to all Americans. With this proposed rule, we will make clear that a person’s eligibility for federal housing programs is, and should be, based on their need and not on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

HUD is currently seeking public comment on a number of proposed areas including:

• Prohibiting lenders from using sexual orientation or gender identity as a basis to determine a borrower’s eligibility for FHA-insured mortgage financing.

FHA’s current regulations protect some classes, saying a loan decision “shall be made in a uniform manner without regard to” specified prohibited grounds. The proposed rule would add actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity to the prohibited grounds.

• A clarification to the term “eligible families” for HUD programs, stating that the term should not ban anyone based on marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity from participation in HUD programs.

• Prohibiting owners and operators of HUD-assisted housing, or housing whose financing is insured by HUD, from asking about sexual orientation or gender identity of an applicant. HUD is proposing to institute this policy in its rental assistance and homeownership programs, which include the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs, community development programs, and public and assisted housing programs.

Previous HUD actions

• HUD is conducting the first-ever national study of discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the rental and sale of housing.

• HUD currently requires discretionary fund recipients to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that cover sexual orientation or gender identity. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in rental, sales and lending on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and familial status. Approximately 20 states, the District of Columbia and more than 150 cities, towns and counties have additional protections that specifically prohibit such discrimination against LGBT individuals.

The complete report – Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs – Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity – is available online in PDF format.