Republicans in the House of Representatives have been criticized for making anti-trans comments during a debate on gender-affirming care. New York representative Jerrold Nadler said that the debate on July 27 had descended into a platform for politicians to bully transgender youngsters after several remarks were made opposing trans healthcare. Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee’s sub-committee on the constitution and limited government spoke about the dangers and due-process violations of gender-affirming care for children, with several calling the medical care dangerous. Their comments came despite numerous studies proving that gender-affirming care can actually improve the mental health of trans teenagers.
Republicans called four witnesses, including a director from the right-wing evangelical group, Family Research Council, who criticized gender-affirming care. Texas representative Wesley Hunt compared gender-affirming care to a child being able to eat ice cream for every meal, claiming trans children are too young to be able to make decisions about their own bodies. He added that doctors who support gender-affirming care have absolutely lost their minds. Democrat Nadler voiced his disgust at the anti-trans remarks, which he described as bullying. Fellow Democrat, Pennsylvania congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, added that the hearing was “not about protecting children’s or parents’ rights”, but instead had devolved into a cynical political attack on transgender children and their families. #Trans Rights