Stop the Attacks on Gender-Affirming Healthcare in MO!

I urge you to vote NO on HB 1016 (Seitz), HB 1038 (Gragg), HB 1081 (Baker), HB 35 (Billington), SB 26 (Moon), SB 75 (Hudson), SB 249 (Brattin), SB 493 (Schroer), and any similar bills that remove the few exceptions from the so-called “SAFE Act”, which banned life-saving, medically necessary, gender-affirming health care for transgender youth and incarcerated individuals. The SAFE Act included a sunset clause so it would expire in 2027 and also included an exemption for individuals who began treatment prior to August 28, 2023. These bills aim to remove the sunset clause, making the act permanent and, in the case of HB 1016, HB 1038, HB 1081, HB 35, and SB 75, remove the protections for those who have already begun treatment and force them to dangerously detransition. These bills are extreme attacks on health care access. These bills not only display a fundamental lack of understanding of who transgender children are, but also undermine medical care best practices for transgender youth backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading medical authorities. All children deserve access to health care, and deserve the best chances at opportunities to thrive. That includes transgender youth. Decisions about health care should be made by doctors with patients and their families, not with our government. I also urge you to oppose SB 390 (Schroer), SJR 23 (Schroer), SJR 27 (Carter), SJR 5 (Brattin), HJR 47 (Lewis), SJR 25 (Coleman), SJR 33 (Schnelting), HJR 63 (Baker), HJR 54 (Stinnett), HJR 73 (Lewis), and SJR 9 (Moon) that seek to revise Missouri's Constitution to define "reproductive health care" in a way that excludes gender transition procedures and treatments like cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers. In addition, SJR 25, SJR 33, HJR 63, HJR 54, HJR 73, and SJR 9 constitutionally ban abortion. The spectrum of reproductive and sexual healthcare is already well understood and practiced. There's no need to introduce confusion by trying to redefine it in this manner. Medical professionals clearly differentiate between reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care, and these bills attempt to conflate the two only adds unnecessary complexity. Additionally, these bills overstep by imposing the Missouri Legislature’s definition of reproductive healthcare on medical practice, disregarding widely accepted clinical standards and evidence-based medicine. They encroach on parental rights by dictating what constitutes appropriate healthcare for their children without demonstrating expertise in this field. It's been well documented that when we do not give transgender youth access to gender affirming health care, it contributes to feelings of depression, social isolation, internalized transphobia or self hatred, and risk of self harm and suicidal behaviors. Missourians deserve the chance at health care that will allow them to thrive, living as their most authentic selves! Please oppose these bills.