GLMA Condemns the Biden-Harris Administration’s Statement Opposing Surgical Care for Trans Youth

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 3, 2024

Contact: Eli Duffy
Communications & Development Manager
eduffy@glma.org

WASHINGTON D.C. — GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality expresses profound disappointment in the Biden-Harris Administration's stance against medical care, including surgeries, for trans youth. This position stands in stark contrast to the Administration's earlier broad support for trans medical care and its indicated backing of the LGBTQ+ community.

The White House cited the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in its opposition to gender-affirming surgery for trans youth. The AAP, which endorses providing trans youth with gender-affirming care and opposes laws banning such care, has stated that gender-affirming surgeries are typically given to adults. The AAP endorses gender affirming surgeries for adolescents on a case by case basis when it is deemed necessary and beneficial to an adolescent’s health.

Most transgender youth receiving gender-affirming care will never undergo surgery as minors. Among the few trans adolescents who do have surgery after years of medical care, top surgery — defined by the AAP as the creation of a typical male chest shape or breast enhancement — is the most common and often the only procedure considered until adulthood. The Biden Administration's focus on this unfounded issue only serves to spread misinformation about the provision of this care, ignoring the substantial scientific evidence that supports it.

“Opposing something as rare and necessary as surgery for trans youth is like banning care only for rare but severe allergies — targeting a seldom-needed but crucial intervention and stigmatizing those who need it most," said Alex Sheldon, MA, GLMA Executive Director. "This move by the Biden Administration is perilous, as it continues on the dangerous trend of inserting the government into private medical decisions that should remain between young individuals, their caregivers, and their providers. Today, the trans community faces targeted attacks, but this trajectory ultimately threatens everyone's right to bodily autonomy and undermines the nation's entire healthcare system."

"The Biden Administration's statement contradicts its previously demonstrated support for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly the support for trans youth,” said Jesse Joad, MD, MS GLMA President. “It also directly contradicts the best available medical evidence, endorsed by every major medical association in the nation, regarding appropriate and effective care for this population. Surgeries for trans youth are exceedingly rare; emphasizing these few cases distorts the true landscape of necessary care. This statement highlights the spread of medical disinformation that currently undermines discussions around this and other crucial health issues."

GLMA remains steadfast in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly focusing on the well-being of our community's youth. You can learn more about our efforts to protect trans medical care and the rights of health professionals who provide this essential service in states like North Carolina, Missouri, and Texas.

About GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
GLMA is a national organization committed to ensuring health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities and equality for LGBTQ+ health professionals in their work and learning environments.  To achieve this mission, GLMA utilizes the scientific expertise of its diverse multidisciplinary membership to inform and drive advocacy, education, and research.