evidence: Foregoing gender-affirming care can have tragic consequences. Transgender youth experience disproportionate levels of violence and bullying. Transgender youth are also more likely to feel less safe at school than cisgender youth, that is youth whose gender identity is consistent with their assigned sex at birth (Day et al., 2018). [...] Decisions about whether to seek gender-affirming care, and what specific services to utilize, must be made between a provider, patient, and the patient’s parents or guardians. Such decisions are relative to the youth’s individual clinical situation. Gender affirming care typically includes steps toward social transition, potentially treatments to temporarily postpone puberty, and in some instances, hormone replacement therapy (Coleman et al., 2012). Rather than allow flexibility to account for the varying needs of individuals, this bill adopts a "one size fits all" approach by categorically criminalizing the recommendation or provision of appropriate gender-affirming care. [...] Criminalizing Gender Affirmative Care with Minors: Suggested Discussion Points with Resources to Oppose Transgender Exclusion Bills (PDF, 54KB)