Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Moves To Protect Transgender Youth Health Care
Politico: Biden Launches Plan To Protect Transgender Youths’ Health Care
President Joe Biden on Wednesday will order his health agency to begin efforts to ban conversion therapy and expand access to gender-affirming treatment after a slew of state attempts to limit transgender health care, particularly for children. The president’s executive order will call on the Department of Health and Human Services to clarify that federally funded programs cannot offer conversion therapy, a widely discredited practice that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, and work on a public information campaign about the practice. Biden is also directing HHS to take “steps to address the barriers and exclusionary policies” to different types of health care and treatment. (Owermohle and Daniels, 6/15)
Bloomberg: Biden Blocks Funding For LGBTQ Conversion Therapy With Order Marking Pride 2022
President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to develop guidance blocking federal funding for organizations that subject LGBTQ youth to harmful and discredited practices known as conversion therapy. In an effort to counter a series of state-level anti-LGBTQ legislation and policies, Biden on Wednesday signed the order as a show of support for LGBTQ people and children in particular, senior administration officials said. (Ceron and Fabian, 6/15)
Also —
AP: Trans Kids' Treatment Can Start Younger, New Guidelines Say
A leading transgender health association has lowered its recommended minimum age for starting gender transition treatment, including sex hormones and surgeries. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health said hormones could be started at age 14, two years earlier than the group’s previous advice, and some surgeries done at age 15 or 17, a year or so earlier than previous guidance. The group acknowledged potential risks but said it is unethical and harmful to withhold early treatment. (Tanner, 6/15)
In related news from Arkansas and Texas —
AP: Court Hears Arguments On Arkansas Trans Youth Treatment Ban
An attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union urged a federal appeals court Wednesday to continue blocking Arkansas’ ban on gender confirming treatments or surgery for children, saying reinstating the restriction would create uncertainty for families around the state. A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the state’s appeal of the preliminary injunction issued last year against ban, which was enacted by the majority-Republican Legislature. ACLU attorney Chase Strangio said allowing the law to be enforced would cause unnecessary disruption since a trial over it is scheduled to begin in October before the judge who issued the injunction. (DeMillo, 6/15)
Dallas Morning News: Texas AG Paxton Seeks To Halt Resumption Of Trans Medical Care At Children’s Dallas
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants to reverse a court order restoring gender-affirming medical treatments for new patients at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. In briefs this week, Paxton told Dallas County Court Judge Melissa Bellan that the state of Texas was not consulted and disagreed with the injunction she issued last month allowing physicians at Children’s to restart certain treatments for new transgender patients through next April. Paxton said he will appeal the injunction. He also repeated his request that the state be allowed to intervene in the ongoing lawsuit with Dr. Ximena Lopez, who took Children’s to court in the hopes of permanently restoring gender-affirming medical treatments for all transgender patients. (McGaughy, 6/15)
