1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to vote against Dr. Nicole Saphier's confirmation as Surgeon General. Her record of spreading misinformation about transgender people disqualifies her from serving as the nation's top doctor. Saphier has called being transgender a "fad" and falsely equated gender-affirming care with "promoting body dysmorphic disorder." This comparison is clinically wrong. Body dysmorphic disorder involves distorted perception of one's appearance, while gender dysphoria is the opposite—people perceive their bodies accurately, and distress arises from the conflict between that body and their gender identity. She has also claimed transgender youth constitute a mental health "national emergency" and suggested children identify as transgender primarily due to unstable homes and peer pressure rather than genuine gender dysphoria. The Surgeon General platform carries enormous weight. A report or advisory from Saphier casting doubt on gender-affirming care would be weaponized by state legislatures drafting bans, courts weighing their constitutionality, hospitals shutting down programs, and insurance companies denying coverage. We cannot hand this platform to someone who has built her media career on attacking transgender people with false medical claims. Vote no on this nomination.