Attempts to ban transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care are putting tens of thousands of young people at risk. The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law reported that “more than 54,000 transitioning transgender youth ages 13 through 17 are at risk of losing access to gender-affirming medical care.” As of Friday, about 15 states developed or considered legislation that would restrict access to gender-affirming care. Such bills will deny access to hormone therapy and puberty blockers and ban insurance providers from covering such care. States like Texas have taken more extreme measures, the state issued an order classifying gender-affirming care as child abuse. Idaho has also attempted to make it a felony to perform gender-affirming surgery on transgender youth and make it illegal for parents to travel to different states to receive treatment.
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) stands with national and local organizations in opposition to any attempt to redefine child abuse to include gender-affirming care for youth who are transgender or nonbinary.
