John,

Unfortunately, what often makes headlines for our community is bad news—especially right now. And good news can feel underwhelming and overshadowed. But it is so important for us, in the midst of this frightening moment in history, to celebrate progress, because progress is a win in and of itself.

The Trans Health Care Access Act, introduced by Rep. Becca Balint (D) of Vermont, is the first bill of its kind. This visionary legislation proposes historic investments into the public health infrastructure surrounding transgender health, in the training and development of the professionals that serve this community of approximately 2 million Americans. And this isn’t some niche bill, either—with over 30 co-sponsors, the Act represents a paradigm shift amongst Congressional allies to the trans community. 

If passed, the bill would: 

•  Expand the workforce that serves transgender patients to create a more diverse and representative provider-base.

•  Address geographic disparities in access to culturally competent care, improving access to care for rural patients.

•  Foster innovation that will lead to continued improvements to existing standards of care.

•  Improve the funding of community health centers and federally qualified health centers.

As we know, transgender medicine is life-saving care. What the Trump administration has done over the last three months harms our community in real, destructive ways. It's time for our government to step up and undo this harm in whatever way possible—and this Act is an enormous step towards rectifying this damage. 

Our Federal Policy team has worked closely with lawmakers such as Rep. Balint to continue to push our Congressional allies to not simply defend our community, but to affirmatively declare that the health and well-being of transgender people across the country is a critical priority for our nation’s public health. We are proud to endorse this historic legislation and are proud of the work we have done to support it. 

This is the first bill of its kind—but it shouldn’t be the last of its kind. Our community deserves a government that protects and expands not just our health care, but every aspect of trans life. A4TE’s policy team works tirelessly to shape this kind of government, and we can’t do it alone. Your support allows our policy team to not just fight this administration's dismantling of transgender medicine as a field, but to advance bill after bill that protects and empowers our community for years to come. 

I hope you will consider supporting our work today. The more we can raise, the more we grow, and the more we grow, the more bills we can help introduce that make our community thrive. 

In solidarity, 

Sinéad Murano-Kinney (she/her) 

A4TE Health Policy Analyst