In July, APA Services joined more than 60 health care institutions and health professionals in a letter to Congress strongly opposing efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming care (PDF, 157KB)opens in new window. Gender identity refers to a person’s sense of gender, which can be the same or different from that assigned at birth. Supportive, evidence-based interventions—including but not limited to mental health counseling, social transition support, and hormone therapies—greatly improve mental health outcomes for transgender youth struggling with their sense of identity.
However, 20 states have enacted legislative bans on gender-affirming care for youth. This statement from APA’s Division 44 (PDF, 326KB)opens in new window (Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity) explains that there is no scientific justification for legislation that restricts access to gender-affirming care. In fact, mental health and medical professional associations overwhelmingly endorse gender-affirming care as an option for some youth struggling with their gender identity.
APA Services opposes legislative, regulatory, and policy efforts that restrict gender-affirming care from those seeking it in accordance with the APA Resolution on Opposing Discriminatory Laws, Policies, and Practices Aimed at LGBTQ+ Persons (PDF, 127KB)opens in new window, and urges state and federal elected officials to follow our evidence-based Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People (PDF, 461KB)opens in new window. The guidelines call for “culturally competent, developmentally appropriate, and trans-affirmative psychological practice” with transgender and gender diverse individuals who are seeking care. APA Services can also provide assistance, policy analysis, and advice on advocacy strategies to state and territorial psychological associations and to psychologists on the front lines dealing with this issue. Psychologists can review APA’s resources for grassroots and state-level advocacy on LGBTQ+ issues for more information.
For more information, contact Leo Rennie.