Anti-Transgender Care Bans: The Weaponization of Disinformation and the Political Ploy to Erase Transgender Youth
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Judy Rohrer
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
5-7-2024 9:05 AM
End Date
5-7-2024 9:25 AM
Location
PAT 340
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies
Abstract
Since 2021, the United States has seen the introduction of over 1,000 bills targeting transgender rights and in 2024 alone, 133 bills have been introduced that aim to deny healthcare for transgender individuals. Such bills often prevent access to necessary healthcare, particularly gender-affirming care (GAC) for transgender youth. GAC for transgender youth can include care for mental wellness and puberty blockers which temporarily pause the puberty process. Legislators aim to deny transgender youth access to GAC by criminalizing any support given to youth accessing GAC as well as the medical or psychiatric provision of such care. GAC has been negatively and inaccurately portrayed in public discourse and further weaponized by legislators as a political ploy to erase transgender identity. The recent bans on GAC aimed at transgender youth are rooted in disinformation and have serious implications, including the spread of transphobia for the estimated 1.3 million transgender youth in the U.S. Research has shown that GAC is medically necessary for the health and wellbeing of transgender individuals, and is supported by most of the major and well-respected medical associations. This paper shows that, contrary to the purported aim of “protecting children,” bans on GAC actually produce harm for transgender youth and fuel transphobia. This paper also aims to shed light on how these bans negatively impact the lives of millions of transgender youths across the U.S., and importantly, what is being done to fight back against the harmful disinformation and the bans.
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Creative Commons License
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Anti-Transgender Care Bans: The Weaponization of Disinformation and the Political Ploy to Erase Transgender Youth
PAT 340
Since 2021, the United States has seen the introduction of over 1,000 bills targeting transgender rights and in 2024 alone, 133 bills have been introduced that aim to deny healthcare for transgender individuals. Such bills often prevent access to necessary healthcare, particularly gender-affirming care (GAC) for transgender youth. GAC for transgender youth can include care for mental wellness and puberty blockers which temporarily pause the puberty process. Legislators aim to deny transgender youth access to GAC by criminalizing any support given to youth accessing GAC as well as the medical or psychiatric provision of such care. GAC has been negatively and inaccurately portrayed in public discourse and further weaponized by legislators as a political ploy to erase transgender identity. The recent bans on GAC aimed at transgender youth are rooted in disinformation and have serious implications, including the spread of transphobia for the estimated 1.3 million transgender youth in the U.S. Research has shown that GAC is medically necessary for the health and wellbeing of transgender individuals, and is supported by most of the major and well-respected medical associations. This paper shows that, contrary to the purported aim of “protecting children,” bans on GAC actually produce harm for transgender youth and fuel transphobia. This paper also aims to shed light on how these bans negatively impact the lives of millions of transgender youths across the U.S., and importantly, what is being done to fight back against the harmful disinformation and the bans.
