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The Biden administration seems to be okay with some limits on bodily autonomy.
Two days after the end ofLGBTQ+Pride Month and less than a week after First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hosted a celebration for the community on the South Lawn of the White House and promised continued support, the Biden administration is being criticized by major allies, theHuman Rights Campaign andPFLAG National, for indicating that it supports limits on access to some forms ofhealth care for transgender adolescents.
This reaction was prompted by areport from The 19th, which highlighted a clarification from the White House stating that while it supports gender-affirming care for minors, surgeries should be limited to adults. The administration’s stance represents a shift from its previously broad support for all forms of gender-affirming care. However, it remains unclear whether this public position by White House officials constitutes an actual policy change.
A White House spokesperson told The 19th, “These are deeply personal decisions and we believe these surgeries should be limited to adults. We continue to support gender-affirming care for minors, which represents a continuum of care, and respect the role of parents, families, and doctors in these decisions.” The White House’s statement appears to be an attempt to counter the narrative pushed on the right that kids of all ages can get surgery, which they cannot. Most young people under 18 have access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy, with a small number of patients having access to breast-related or top surgery procedures in their later teenage years. Very rarely are surgical options for genital or bottom surgery available to those under 18. Republicans have been spreading disinformation about this kind of care, which has ignited a backlash by those who do not support trans rights.
In a strongly worded statement to The Advocate on Tuesday evening, Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson expressed deep frustration with the administration’s newly-publicized stance on gender-affirming health care for minors. “Health care decisions for young people belong between a patient, their family, and their health care provider. Trans youth are no exception,” Robinson asserted.
Robinson criticized the administration for its inconsistency: “The Biden administration is flat wrong on this,” she said. “It’s wrong on the science and wrong on the substance. It’s also inconsistent with other steps the administration has taken to support transgender youth. The Biden administration, and every elected official, need to leave these decisions to families, doctors, and patients–where they belong.”
PFLAG National also expressed outrage. In a statement, PFLAG National CEO Brian K. Bond said, “Transgender youth and their parents deserve to get the medically necessary healthcare they need when they need it, just like everyone else. Yet, because the Biden administration bowed to a transparently politicized campaign to harm transgender people and families and weaken our health system, now the government stands between patients, parents, and doctors. The White House’s wholesale opposition to physician-approved, medically necessary rare surgical interventions for transgender youth is misguided, harmful, and unnecessary. This decision is not based on science — and flies in the face of all the previous statements and good work in support of trans youth by President Biden.”
Bond emphasized the need for these decisions to be made by medical professionals and families, adding, “Every ounce of love, consideration, thought, and care that goes into these important decisions should be left to parents, the patient, and their medical and behavioral health professional providers. PFLAG will continue to do all we can to keep it that way.”
The controversy has been fueled by recent revelationsreported byThe New York Times. Newly released emails obtained by the paper indicate that Biden administration officials, including staff for Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine, lobbied the World Professional Association for Transgender Health to remove proposed age limits for surgeries in their guidelines. This move was seen by critics as a way to mitigate political backlash, raising concerns about the influence of politics over science in policymaking.
The White House has consistently advocated for the rights of transgender youth to access gender-affirming care and has fought against state-level bans on such care. PresidentJoe Biden has publicly condemned anti-trans legislation, declaring, “These are our kids. These are our neighbors. It’s cruel and it’s callous.” Biden and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre have also consistently assured transgender people that he “has your back.”
Robinson emphasized the importance of adhering to established medical guidelines and leaving health care decisions in the hands of professionals and families. “Although transgender young people make up an extremely small percentage of youth in this country, the care they receive is based on decades of clinical research and is backed by every major medical association in the U.S. representing over 1.3 million doctors. The administration has committed to fight any ban on healthcare for transgender youth and must continue this without hesitation–the entire community is watching,” Robinson said.
The debate over age limits for gender-affirming care is part of a larger, ongoing national conversation about the rights of transgender people, particularly minors, to access appropriate medical treatment. Opponents argue that minors are too young to make such significant medical decisions, while supporters, including numerous medical experts and major medical organizations, contend that delaying care can lead to severe mental health consequences for transgender youth.
“No parent should ever be put in the position where they and their doctor agree on one course of action, supported by the overwhelming majority of medical experts, but the government forbids it,” Robinson concluded.
As this issue continues to unfold, the Biden administration faces pressure from both sides of the debate. The administration’s next steps will be closely watched by advocates and opponents alike as the broader fight for transgender rights and healthcare access remains a contentious and pivotal issue in the United States.
The Advocate has contacted the White House for clarification on its position but has yet to receive answers to questions.
