1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m shocked and disgusted by Rep. Garamendi’s “yes” vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains harmful provisions that restrict access to gender-affirming care for the children of service members. This has me seething and wishing I could reverse my vote retroactively. What’s the point of voting for a Democrat if they take away the rights of your friends and family?! Denying medically necessary care to minors just because they are transgender is bigoted and unacceptable. Studies show this leads to suicide and mental health issues in transgender youth. Also, how shameful it is to see Democrats joining Republicans in approving a rollback of diversity and inclusion efforts in the military. This move not only underscores how sadly backwards our Democratic representatives are becoming, but it could also undermine military readiness and unit cohesion, which threatens our national security.