Dear John,

Conservative extremists in Congress are trying to strip away gender-affirming care from our military families through the annual defense spending bill. Dangerous anti-trans provisions have been added into this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) proposals that could cut off access to basic and essential medical care for transgender service members and families—and extremists are rallying behind a ban for trans youth in particular.

If this provision is enacted, it would be an unprecedented prohibition on gender-affirming care written into federal law—paving the way for more and more attacks on this care at the national level. And this ban—coming just days after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth—is just one of the latest assaults on the dignity of trans young people, who have faced a barrage of state-level laws restricting their access to care.

Congress should be passing legislation that protects our health and our freedoms—not trying to control, dehumanize, and erase us. But a current proposal in the NDAA would block gender-affirming care for transgender young people. Bans like these are dangerous, medically baseless, and downright discriminatory. Urge your Members of Congress to reject this harmful anti-trans rider NOW! Together, let's ensure transgender service members and youth can access life-saving health care.

In solidarity,

Jackii Wang
she/her
Senior Legislative Analyst
National Women's Law Center