1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The removal of references to LGBTQ+ and transgender children from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) website is deeply concerning. These actions appear to be politically motivated and do not serve to protect vulnerable youth. Transgender and queer children face disproportionately high rates of homelessness, exploitation, and violence precisely due to lack of acceptance. By scrubbing crucial information and resources related to supporting these at-risk populations, NCMEC is actively endangering the very children it is mandated to safeguard. This censorship undermines NCMEC's mission and erases the realities faced by marginalized youth. I urge reconsideration of this decision, restoration of the removed content, and a recommitment to serving all children equally without discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Protecting kids must be the singular priority, not advancing an ideological agenda that increases their vulnerability.