Transgender youth endangered as anti-trans defense budget is signed into law by Biden

President Joe Biden on Monday signed his last defense appropriation bill despite objections that the bill banned funding for providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth through the military's health insurance provider Tricare. Many advocates and medical providers expressed concern over the ban, saying it will endanger the health and survival of trans youth who are the children of service members.

Biden signed the bill, officially known as the H.R. 5009 or the “Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025,” despite “strongly opposing” the provision denying the expenditure of funds for gender-affirming care for children.

“The provision targets a group based on that group’s gender identity and interferes with parents’ roles to determine the best care for their children,” Biden said in a statement. “This section undermines our all-volunteer military’s ability to recruit and retain the finest fighting force the world has ever known by denying health care coverage to thousands of our service members’ children. No service member should have to decide between their family’s health care access and their call to serve our Nation.”

The denial of gender-affirming care often leads trans youth to self-medicate to affirm their gender identity, sometimes by dangerous and life-threatening means.

Dr. Jason Nagata, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, told NBC News many transgender youths manipulate their diets to affirm their identity.

“Some people will intentionally restrict their food intake to get rid of their periods,” Nagata said of trans boys.

“If they really restrict their food intake, they can prevent themselves from developing facial hair or Adam’s apples,” Nagata said of trans girls.

A 2019 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health on body dissatisfaction in transgender youth confirms Nagata’s observations, showing most participants engaged in diet manipulation for gender-affirming purposes.

The study entitled “Eating Disorder Screening in Transgender Youth” interviewed 106 participants using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and found that 63 percent “disclosed weight manipulation for gender-affirming purposes with 11 percent of assigned females doing so for menstrual suppression.” The study concluded that “disordered eating behaviors are relatively common” among transgender youth and recommended further studies on the issue.

The recent elections sent fears through the LGBTQ+ youth community, causing many to question the value of their lives. The Trevor Project, which provides support for LGBTQ+ youth considering death by suicide, saw a 700 percent increase in calls, texts, and chats after the November election compared to prior weeks.

Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, described the call increase as alarming but sought to assure LGBTQ+ youth there is hope and that caring, qualified people are there to help.

“The current political environment in the U.S. is heavy, but it is so important for LGBTQ+ young people to know that they do not have to shoulder this weight alone,” Black told The 19th last month.

“LGBTQ+ young people: your life matters, and you were born to live it,” Black added.

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.