1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to stand up for the rights and well-being of transgender Americans who are facing unprecedented attacks on their fundamental freedoms and access to necessary medical care. Since taking office, the Trump administration has signed multiple executive orders targeting transgender individuals, including orders that ignore scientific evidence about gender identity. The Supreme Court has allowed a transgender military ban to take effect, revoking benefits from service members who have served our country honorably. Kansas has invalidated government IDs of transgender people, and Ohio has prohibited widely accepted treatment for gender dysphoria. The House has voted to ban Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for trans youth and to make all gender-affirming care a felony offense nationwide. The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed removing gender dysphoria as a federally protected disability and blocking federal funding for hospitals providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors, even though similar medical treatment for cisgender children remains available. Most alarmingly, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has begun testing conversion therapy on incarcerated trans people, raising serious concerns about human experimentation and violations of the Eighth Amendment's requirement for necessary medical care. I am asking you to take concrete action by proposing or cosponsoring rights-affirming legislation to prevent the denial of legal identification like driver's licenses and passports. I urge you to oppose legislation and federal regulations that limit access to gender-affirming care for everyone, including trans youth and incarcerated individuals. Please condemn the cruel attacks on transgender service members and work to restore all their rights and benefits. Transgender Americans deserve the same rights under state and federal law as all Americans. These attacks dehumanize people who deserve dignity, respect, and equal protection. I am counting on you to defend the constitutional rights of all your constituents.