1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

Bans on gender-affirming care do not protect children. They harm them. Vote against any legislation that restricts access to this care, and stand up to the political pressure that is overriding established medical and scientific standards. I am a constituent who has seen what this care actually does. Surgeons at institutions like Mass General Brigham have been providing gender-affirming procedures for over 25 years — not as an experiment, but as evidence-based medicine. For patients who feel trapped in their own bodies, this care is what allows them to do things most of us never think twice about: looking in the mirror, showering with the lights on. That is not elective. That is survival. Banning this care does not make these patients disappear. It makes them suffer without help. The doctors providing this treatment are not ideologues — many come from deeply traditional backgrounds and arrived at this work through years of clinical experience with real patients. Trust the science. Protect the patients. Block these bans.