1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to vote against Marjorie Taylor Greene's bill criminalizing gender-affirming care for transgender youth when it comes to the House floor on December 17. This legislation would impose Class C felony charges and up to 10 years in federal prison on doctors, therapists, and other medical professionals who provide evidence-based care to transgender young people and their families. The bill mischaracterizes gender-affirming care as "bodily mutilation" and "chemical castration," language that directly contradicts established medical evidence. Medical professionals confirm that puberty blockers are fully reversible, fertility preservation options exist for those beginning hormone therapy, and many transgender individuals remain fertile after starting hormones. The actual care process involves careful, individualized assessment by medical teams working closely with families and therapists. As Mike Zamore, the ACLU's National Director of Policy & Government Affairs, stated, this bill "puts the threat of prosecution between hundreds of thousands of families and their doctors" and would imprison physicians for exercising medical judgment. Healthcare decisions should remain between families and their doctors, not be dictated by federal criminal law. This vote represents a dangerous precedent. The recently passed National Defense Authorization Act already included provisions barring transgender service members from sports participation, and Republicans have threatened to hold ACA healthcare funding relief hostage in exchange for transgender care coverage bans for both youth and adults. Each compromise on these issues moves us further from the principle that medical decisions belong with patients, families, and their healthcare providers. I ask you to stand firm against this legislation and vote no on December 17. Hundreds of thousands of families deserve access to medically necessary care without the threat of federal prosecution hanging over their doctors' heads.