Medical care is a human right.
Everyone should have access to the medical care they need.
In January 2023, Utah lawmakers banned gender-affirming medical care for transgender kids (SB 16). Utah kids no longer have access to hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery, even when health professionals and parents agree it's in the child's best interest.
This should scare everyone. Even if you don't agree with transgender treatments for kids, the fact that the state 'knows best' and is imposing its will on families--regardless of individual and parental rights and against professional advice--is very frightening!
Lawmakers say they don't fully understand the long-term impact of gender-affirming treatments, yet one fact is abundantly clear: banning treatments results in more teen suicides. All research concludes with this dark fact. Yet, here we are.
Gender-affirming care is life-saving care.
Access to gender-affirming care can be a life-or-death issue for trans youth. A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that nearly 51% of female-to-male respondents had attempted suicide, while the average youth suicide rate in the U.S. is 9%, according to a 2022 study by UCLA.
Studies have shown that access to medical transition can be a major step in improving quality of life for trans people. An analysis of 56 peer-reviewed works by the What We Know Project found that in 93% of the studies, gender transition improved the overall well-being of trans respondents.
We can make a difference.
