{"id":4984,"date":"2023-06-23T21:24:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T14:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=4984"},"modified":"2023-06-23T21:24:05","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T14:24:05","slug":"legislation-against-gender-affirming-care-is-harmful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=4984","title":{"rendered":"Legislation Against Gender-Affirming Care Is Harmful"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">T<\/span>he LGBTQ+ community is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/marsha-p-johnson\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/marsha-p-johnson\/\">no stranger to persecution<\/a>, but the current political climate in the United States has made seeking a happy, healthy, and safe life a challenging (if not impossible) pursuit for this demographic. For trans and gender non-conforming folks, in particular, intended limits or all-out bans on gender-affirming care in many states has compromised safety even more.<\/div>\n<p>\u201cGender-affirming care is the steps one takes in order to affirm who they are and feel a better sense of belonging in their bodies and in this world, and it can encompass a variety of things,\u201d says transgender athlete and activist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thechrismosier.com\/about-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.thechrismosier.com\/about-1\">Chris Mosier<\/a>. Exactly how gender-affirming care looks is different for everyone, but there are two main components: social transitioning and medical transitioning\u2014and they\u2019re under attack by lawmakers, particularly for minors, he says.<\/p>\n<p>In just the last few years, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrc.org\/resources\/attacks-on-gender-affirming-care-by-state-map\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.hrc.org\/resources\/attacks-on-gender-affirming-care-by-state-map\">20 states have passed laws or policies banning or restricting access to gender-affirming care for youth<\/a>. Montana, Idaho, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi have passed full bans. West Virginia, Arizona, Nebraska, and Georgia have passed partial bans. And in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/transgender-health-desantis-florida-033556c6a4c301d9ad342c74a6410800\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/transgender-health-desantis-florida-033556c6a4c301d9ad342c74a6410800\">Florida<\/a>, laws banning or restricting access to gender-affirming youth have passed but are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/06\/20\/us\/arkansas-transgender-care-ban.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/06\/20\/us\/arkansas-transgender-care-ban.html\">being temporarily blocked<\/a> (in some cases partially) by legal challenges. Seven other states\u2014Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and South Carolina\u2014are considering or have considered similar laws banning access to gender-affirming care for youth. Some states, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-transgender-health-care-adults-e7ae55eec634923e6593a4c0685969b2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-transgender-health-care-adults-e7ae55eec634923e6593a4c0685969b2\">Florida<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/news.stlpublicradio.org\/government-politics-issues\/2023-04-20\/attorney-general-andrew-baileys-rules-restrictions-on-gender-affirming-care-will-affect-adults\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/news.stlpublicradio.org\/government-politics-issues\/2023-04-20\/attorney-general-andrew-baileys-rules-restrictions-on-gender-affirming-care-will-affect-adults\">Missouri<\/a>, are also introducing restrictions that would regulate access to gender-affirming care for adults.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-affirming-care-legislation\/\" current-title=\"Access to Gender-Affirming Care Is Under Threat\u2014Here\u2019s Why That\u2019s Harmful\" current-image=\"WG_Editorial_Gender-Affirming-Care_1x1-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2022-12-23\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-affirming-care-legislation\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-affirming-care-legislation\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-affirming-care-legislation\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Socially rooted gender-affirming care might include emotional or community support around non-medical transitions, like name or pronoun changes and non-permanent shifts in appearance, like haircuts or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-affirming-clothing\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-affirming-clothing\/\">clothing style<\/a>. And these are the forms of care that most trans young people seek, says Mosier of social gender-affirming care: \u201cIt\u2019s about allowing people to dress how they want and to use the names and pronouns that affirm who they are.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Access to gender-affirming care is an essential right that must be protected in order to ensure that trans and non-binary people are able to live healthy lives.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In other words, the bulk of care for young people involves non-permanent changes. And while current anti-trans legislation mostly takes aim at medical gender-affirming care, Mosier says such attacks can make social transitioning, or accessing care around social transitioning, feel less safe.<\/p>\n<p>Gender-affirming care\u2014medical and social\u2014is safe and beneficial to the mental health of trans and non-binary individuals. Limiting or eliminating its availability jeopardizes the well-being of the person seeking it\u2014not the person aiming to restrict it. Access to gender-affirming care must be protected in order to ensure that trans and non-binary people are able to live healthy lives.<\/p>\n<h2>The positive power of the gender-affirming care that\u2019s under attack<\/h2>\n<p>Medical gender-affirming care mainly includes treatments such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/puberty-blockers\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/puberty-blockers\/\">puberty blockers<\/a> and gender-affirming hormone therapies. Puberty blockers buy young people more time to decide how they want to proceed with their care by delaying the onset of puberty, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.folxhealth.com\/clinicians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.folxhealth.com\/clinicians\/\">Kate Steinle<\/a>, nurse practitioner and Chief Clinical Officer at FOLX Health\u2014a digital health-care service for the LGBTQ+ community. Hormone treatments are then the next step, or potentially the first medical step for an individual who has already been through puberty, in transitioning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone who was assigned male at birth might take estrogen or a testosterone blocker for their care, and that would be for their lifetime,\u201d says Steinle. \u201cThose medications are going to help that person become <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-dysphoria-pleasure\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/gender-dysphoria-pleasure\/\">less gender dysphoric<\/a>, to be able to see their body or their voice or whatever parts they might have dysphoria about come into alignment with their gender identity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Steinle, puberty blockers and other hormone-based medications are prescribed in the same way any other medication is prescribed: following a clinical diagnosis, lab work, and all other standard protocols. (That said, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved puberty blockers to treat precocious (or early) puberty, and <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30003804\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/30003804\/\">its efficacy as gender-affirming care is an off-label use<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>There are also many steps in the transition process before such medications are even introduced. \u201cYoung people are working closely with parents and health-care providers and mental health-care providers to determine what sort of changes to make at any given time that are age appropriate and in the best interest of that young person,\u201d says Mosier.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Treatment for minors only rarely involves surgery and that&#8217;s a step only taken after many years of professional medical evaluation, says Kate Steinle, nurse practitioner and Chief Clinical Officer at FOLX Health.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Despite disinformation to the contrary, treatment for minors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politifact.com\/factchecks\/2022\/aug\/10\/ron-desantis\/transition-related-surgery-limited-teens-not-young\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.politifact.com\/factchecks\/2022\/aug\/10\/ron-desantis\/transition-related-surgery-limited-teens-not-young\/\">only rarely involves surgery<\/a> and, says Steinle, <a href=\"https:\/\/transequality.org\/blog\/get-the-facts-the-truth-about-transition-related-care-for-transgender-youth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/transequality.org\/blog\/get-the-facts-the-truth-about-transition-related-care-for-transgender-youth\">that&#8217;s a step only taken after many years of professional medical evaluation<\/a>. (And certainly, no one is operating on very young children, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fact-check-transgender-surgery-medicine-legislation-LGBTQ-491630629027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fact-check-transgender-surgery-medicine-legislation-LGBTQ-491630629027\">as some would suggest<\/a>.) An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/investigates\/special-report\/usa-transyouth-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/investigates\/special-report\/usa-transyouth-data\/\">analysis<\/a> of insurance claims in the United States conducted by Reuters and health technology company Komodo Health Inc last year found that just 56 individuals between the ages of 13 and 17 with a prior diagnosis of gender dysphoria underwent genital surgery between 2019 and 2021. Top surgery for teenagers is more common but still statistically rare, according to the analysis. (That said, the study authors acknowledge it may be an undercount because the number doesn\u2019t include procedures paid for out of pocket). In that same three-year time span, 776 mastectomies were performed on individuals in the same demographic.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the proposed bills banning gender-affirming surgery for trans youth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/most-state-bans-on-gender-affirming-care-for-trans-youth-still-allow-controversial-intersex-surgery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/most-state-bans-on-gender-affirming-care-for-trans-youth-still-allow-controversial-intersex-surgery\">include exemptions for intersex children<\/a>, too, which is further evidence of a bias against transgender and non-binary individuals. Intersex surgeries are performed on infants and children, who have sex organs or characteristics that don\u2019t neatly fit into a biological male or female binary in order to align the child&#8217;s genitalia more closely with one gender or the other. These children are often too young to consent, and by exempting intersex surgeries from these bills, lawmakers are further demonstrating that their stated intent\u2014to protect children\u2013is a bad-faith argument<\/p>\n<p>And while it\u2019s true that some percentage of those who receive gender-affirming surgery may eventually come to regret it, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8099405\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8099405\/\">such regret is extremely rare<\/a>. \u201cThis discourse is just a scare tactic,\u201d says Steinle. \u201cIn any surgery, there\u2019s going to be a small percentage of people with regrets.\u201d And if this were truly the concern, Steinle says these bills would also be banning cosmetic surgery for cisgender minors.<\/p>\n<h2>What science says about the safety of medical gender-affirming care<\/h2>\n<p>Puberty blockers have been prescribed to cisgender children with precocious (early) puberty for decades. \u201cThese are medications that have been used over time and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cedars-sinai.org\/blog\/puberty-blockers-for-precocious-puberty.html%2525252523:~:text=While%252525252520puberty%252525252520blockers%252525252520have%252525252520been,past%252525252520the%252525252520age%252525252520of%252525252520puberty.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cedars-sinai.org\/blog\/puberty-blockers-for-precocious-puberty.html%2525252523:~:text=While%252525252520puberty%252525252520blockers%252525252520have%252525252520been,past%252525252520the%252525252520age%252525252520of%252525252520puberty.\">have been proven safe and effective<\/a>,\u201d says Mosier, who\u00a0adds that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/what-the-science-on-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-kids-really-shows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/what-the-science-on-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-kids-really-shows\/\">numerous studies<\/a> have examined the mental health impact of gender-affirming care on trans youth, and results have landed in overwhelming favor of the treatments.<\/p>\n<p>Trans youth have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jahonline.org\/article\/S1054-139X(14)00693-4\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.jahonline.org\/article\/S1054-139X(14)00693-4\/fulltext\">high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2789423\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2789423\">gender-affirming care has been shown to help<\/a>. \u201cExisting evidence suggests that gender-affirming medical care has favorable mental health outcomes for young people,\u201d says Mosier.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe can see through study after study that when people do not have access to gender-affirming hormones, mental health issues skyrocket.\u201d \u2014Steinle<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And on the flip side, there\u2019s significant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lanchi\/article\/PIIS2352-4642(21)00139-5\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lanchi\/article\/PIIS2352-4642(21)00139-5\/fulltext\">evidence<\/a> to support that harm is done by limiting access. \u201cWe can see through study after study that when people do not have access to gender-affirming hormones, mental health issues skyrocket,\u201d says Steinle. \u201cDepression and anxiety and suicidality are extremely high risks when people do not have access to care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Because of this evidence, an overwhelming number of major medical organizations\u2014the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aap.org\/en\/news-room\/aap-voices\/why-we-stand-up-for-transgender-children-and-teens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.aap.org\/en\/news-room\/aap-voices\/why-we-stand-up-for-transgender-children-and-teens\/\">American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/press-center\/press-releases\/ama-reinforces-opposition-restrictions-transgender-medical-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/press-center\/press-releases\/ama-reinforces-opposition-restrictions-transgender-medical-care\">American Medical Association<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/lgbtq\/gender-affirmative-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/lgbtq\/gender-affirmative-care\">American Psychological Association<\/a>, and more\u2014support access to gender-affirming care. \u201cIt\u2019s so clear to people who have worked in this field for a long time that this is a safe and effective treatment for people who are trans or non-binary,\u201d says Steinle.<\/p>\n<h2>Where the legislation may be headed\u2014and how to help<\/h2>\n<p>While the bulk of bans on gender-affirming care are, at this point, focused on access to gender-affirming care for minors, some are targeting access for adults as well. In fact, Steinle says the law that was just temporarily and narrowly blocked in Florida, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flsenate.gov\/Session\/Bill\/2023\/254\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.flsenate.gov\/Session\/Bill\/2023\/254\">SB 254<\/a>, included regulations around gender-affirming care access for adults. \u201cSpecifically, [the law said] the only people who could prescribe gender-affirming care for adults were MDs or DOs, and so any of the nurse practitioners or physician&#8217;s assistants who were already caring for a lot of these patients could no longer care for them,\u201d she says. The law also stipulated that patients see these doctors to sign informed consent forms in person, which Steinle says could be another barrier to care for those who live in care deserts or otherwise rely on telehealth services.<\/p>\n<p>Mosier and Steinle see this law as a possible test case for many coming attempts to regulate access to gender-affirming care for adults. \u201cThe easiest idea to rally people around is, \u2018Protect the children,\u2019 but they won\u2019t stop there,\u201d says Steinle. \u201cThey want to politically and culturally eradicate trans people. It&#8217;s very clear in the language that they use that the only acceptable way to be is to be cis.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe are moving toward a reality where if you\u2019re not a straight, white, cisgender person of a certain socio-economic bracket, your rights are at risk.\u201d \u2014Chris Mosier, transgender athlete and activist<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>These attempts at limiting freedoms should be troubling to everyone, says Mosier\u2014not just members of and allies to the LGBGQIA+ community. \u201cThe attacks on the trans community are deeply related to the attacks on bodily autonomy for people who can become pregnant, and the attacks on Black and brown individuals in our country who, when we layer in the intersections of identity, are disproportionately impacted by these bills and laws,\u201d says Mosier. \u201cAll the things we\u2019re seeing happening in this country\u2014abortion rights and voting rights and redistricting and voter suppression\u2014are moving toward a reality where if you\u2019re not a straight, white, cisgender person of a certain socio-economic bracket, your rights are at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first thing you can do to help is educate yourself. \u201cThere&#8217;s a real lack of understanding around transgender and non-binary people in general, from basic terminology and concepts all the way up to what our care is, what being in sports is like for us, and so on,\u201d Mosier says. \u201cThis is a much more nuanced conversation than can be conveyed in a headline or tweet, and it needs to be\u2014because we&#8217;re talking about people&#8217;s humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With regard to that self-education, Mosier concedes that it can be hard to know where to turn for accurate intel. Steinle recommends <a href=\"https:\/\/www.folxhealth.com\/library\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.folxhealth.com\/library\/\">the library at FOLX<\/a> as a resource, and both she and Mosier say the best sources of information more generally are the people who work and live in this space\u2014trans and non-binary people themselves, and the clinicians who provide them with care.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve begun the ongoing process of educating yourself, Mosier says it\u2019s important to speak up, whether that means helping to inform friends and family or publicly speaking out against disinformation, myths, and lies around gender-affirming care and other trans-rights issues.<\/p>\n<p>Steinle says that those with financial resources can also donate to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.folxhealth.com\/hrt-care-fund\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.folxhealth.com\/hrt-care-fund\/\">FOLX HRT Care Fund<\/a>, which gifts grants for free care\u2014e.g. medications and clinical care\u2014through FOLX for those in need.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have financial resources to spare, Steinle points out that there is something far more simple, and equally impactful, to be done: Reach out to those in the LGBTQIA+ community to show your support. \u201cThis is a scary time for people, so it\u2019s important for individuals to reach out to their friends or family members who are in the LGBTQ community to show them they\u2019re loved, they\u2019re important, they\u2019re amazing and beautiful regardless of all the crazy loud political theater saying otherwise,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have to remember to offset that language with language of acceptance and love.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The LGBTQ+ community is no stranger to persecution, but the current political climate in the United States has made seeking a happy, healthy, and safe life a challenging (if not impossible) pursuit for this demographic. For trans and gender non-conforming folks, in particular, intended limits or all-out bans on gender-affirming care in many states has &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}