1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to reject the dangerous escalation in federal anti-transgender policies and rhetoric that threatens the safety and civil rights of your constituents. Since January, the Trump administration has systematically targeted transgender adults through multiple federal actions: restricting passports to biological sex designations, stripping protections for trans inmates, weaponizing federal funds against trans bathroom use, and banning trans soldiers from military service. On December 18th, Deputy Secretary of HHS Jim O'Neill declared at a press conference that transgender existence represents "a hatred for nature as God designed it" and "declares war" against biology, casting an entire population as a threat to the nation itself. That same day, the FDA issued warning letters to chest binder manufacturers, demonstrating immediate action against trans adults. This rhetoric has grown increasingly violent. Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas stated on Newsmax that we must "get [trans people] off the streets" and stop them from communicating with one another, calling transgender identity "a cancer that is spreading across this country." At Turning Point USA's AmericaFest, conservative commentator Benny Johnson called for the FBI to "kick in doors" and "round 'em up," receiving a standing ovation before playing O'Neill's speech and celebrating that he had "the full weight of the American federal government behind him." The legal implications are severe. The proposed HHS rule conditioning Medicaid and Medicare acceptance on not providing gender-affirming care to minors could easily expand to all ages if upheld by the Supreme Court, effectively implementing a nationwide transgender healthcare ban at HHS discretion. Transgender people are your constituents. They are teachers, veterans, parents, and community members who deserve the same constitutional protections as everyone else. I urge you to publicly oppose these federal overreach efforts, support legislation protecting transgender civil rights, and speak out against rhetoric that dehumanizes any population. History shows us where this path leads, and we have a responsibility to reject it now.