Breast cancer patient dropped by Oregan clinic after complaint about 'transgenderism banner hanging like a Nazi flag'
An Oregon woman battling breast cancer says she was dropped by her primary care doctor because of her response to the display of a transgender pride flag in the doctor’s office.
Marlene Barbera, who was scheduled to have a mastectomy later this month, was informed by Oregon Health Science University (OHSU) that she was dropped from the clinic due to alleged comments she made about the office’s LGBT employees and staff, according to a GiveSendGo campaign.
Barbera shared a letter she sent to the clinic with the conservative social channel Libs of TikTok in which she raised concerns about an “enormous transgenderism banner hanging like a Nazi flag behind the reception desk” at OHSU’s Richmond Family Medicine Clinic.
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Pointing to the threats she says she received on social media from trans activists, Barbera said she found it “daunting to go for medical treatment with that banner proclaiming that what I am, an adult human female, is a mere opt-in category for any gender non-conforming male and not a reality.
“This negates women completely. And they are not asking.”
In response to her complaint, Barbera shared another letter dated June 29 on her Twitter page under the handle @blah_blablather in which she was informed she was being dropped from all services at all OHSU clinics for “ongoing disrespectful and hurtful remarks about our [LGBT] community and staff.”
Ok-I was gonna try to get over this-but I am a liver transplant recipient with breast cancer facing double mastectomy at the end of August and now I have no primary care doctor.
— Lady Laughingloudley (@blah_blablather) August 1, 2023
A lawyer contacted me-i hesitated-
Nor more!
Would any lawyer out there help me?
Very scared. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/mfkSOoeOz6
She wrote: “Ok — I was gonna try to get over this — but I am a liver transplant recipient with breast cancer facing double mastectomy at the end of August and now I have no primary care doctor. A lawyer contacted me — i hesitated — No more! Would any lawyer out there help me? Very scared.”
Multiple attempts by The Christian Post to contact Barbera were unsuccessful.
While OHSU spokesperson Sara Hottman declined a request for comment from The Christian Post due to privacy laws, she pointed to OHSU’s patient rights and responsibilities, which states, “OHSU patients, families and visitors have a responsibility to refrain from using discriminatory, profane, derogatory or threatening language, imagery or behavior, and understand that these behaviors can result in limitation of visiting privileges and impact access to care at OHSU.”
Hottman did not provide any additional information as to why Barbera was denied service, nor did she respond to a question about whether OHSU violated Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination “on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics), in covered health programs or activities.”
As a Federally Qualified Health Center as described on its website, the Richmond clinic would likely be subject to such protections.
Barbera’s complaints about Richmond are not the first bout of controversy for the OHSU clinic: in April 2022, Andy Ngo, senior editor of conservative outlet The Post Millennial, profiled a Richmond medical assistant who espoused racist and communist ideologies.
