Today, there were reports the Trump Administration is trying to define gender as a “biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth,” which would drastically rollback protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law.
In response, Dr. Meera Shah, Fellow with Physicians for Reproductive Health, issued the following statement:
“As a family medicine physician who cares for transgender and gender diverse people every day, I am horrified by the reports of the Trump administration trying to roll back protections for transgender people by redefining gender. This move by the Department of Health and Human Services is dangerous, and it will harm the well-being of millions who live with significant discrimination in society.
“Gender identity is determined by each individual, not by a physician, not by a parent, and not by a politician.”
“The administration argued that this rule is based on science, but as a scientist I can tell you they have their facts wrong. Gender identity is determined by each individual, not by a physician, not by a parent, and not by a politician, and this is recognized by many medical organizations, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“What we should be doing is protecting transgender individuals. We should be passing policies that enable them to live, work, and thrive without fear, judgement, and discrimination. We cannot ignore this new attack—we cannot allow it to happen.”