(A Seattle judge delays Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, Feb. 15) I am the parent of an 18-year-old who is set to undergo major surgery this summer. President Donald Trump’s harsh and unfair executive order that targets care that is gender affirming infuriates me. My child will have to wait until they are 19 years old to receive the medical care they require, which has already been thoroughly thought out, evaluated, and authorized by their doctors, if the order is upheld. The worst kind of government overreach, this has terrible real-world repercussions for transgender youngsters and their families.
The purpose of Trump’s attack on this care is to deprive young people of their rights and play politics with their lives, not to protect them. The executive order is a clear attempt to ban transgender individuals from society.
Because they are aware that this care saves lives, medical professionals are overwhelmingly in favor of it. Denying essential care increases the risks of sadness, anxiety, and suicide among transgender adolescents, according to the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and numerous other experts. Trump’s actions are contrary to human decency, science, and fundamental humanity.
I commend the attorneys general and judges who are retaliating. Americans shouldn’t have to depend on the legal system to shield our kids from bigotry enforced by the government. My child is not a political pawn, Trump and his followers should know. There is no question about their right to medical care. We shall not remain silent while you try to deprive them of their humanity and dignity.
Dudzic, Brandee, Portland
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