Biden administration declares support for sex-change surgeries and hormone substitutions for minors

President Joe Biden's administration has released documents endorsing sex-change surgeries and cross-sex hormone substitutions for minors under the politically correct and inaccurate label of "gender-affirming care."

The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Population Affairs on Thursday released a document titled, "Gender Affirming Care for Young People." Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Child Traumatic Stress Network — which operates under the authority of HHS — released a document declaring, "Gender-Affirming Care is Trauma-Informed Care."

The HHS documents, first reported by Fox News, assert that "gender-affirming care" is the "standard of care for transgender, gender diverse, and intersex youth" that is approved by "major medical associations," including the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics. These groups say that the best medical care for transgender minors is to affirm their self-proclaimed gender identities, rather than affirm and teach them to accept the bodies they were born with.

Biden's administration supports applying puberty blockers to children who identify as transgender to prevent them from developing naturally. The documents suggest that cross-sex hormone substitution is beneficial in "early adolescence and onward," specifically "Testosterone hormones for those who were assigned female at birth" and "Estrogen hormones for those who were assigned male at birth."

Cross-sex hormones substitutions are only "partially reversible," according to the OPA fact sheet. They also have unmentioned risk factors, including blood clots, stroke, heart disease, certain cancers, liver damage, and infertility.

While sex-change surgeries are "typically used in adulthood," the document observes they can be used "case-by-case in adolescence." These include mutilating "'Top surgery' — to create male-typical chest shape or enhance breasts," and "'Bottom' surgery — surgery on genitals or reproductive organs." These surgeries are "not reversible."

"Medical and psychosocial gender affirming healthcare practices have been demonstrated to yield lower rates of adverse mental health outcomes, build self-esteem, and improve overall quality of life for transgender and gender diverse youth," OPA states.

The second document from NCTSN is longer and more detailed than the fact-sheet from OPA, but it shares the basic contention that "gender-affirming care broadly refers to creating an environment that facilitates youth to move through the world safely as the gender they know themselves to be."

"Providing gender-affirming care is neither child maltreatment nor malpractice," NCTSN states, in what appears to be a direct rebuke of action taken by Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) to have state agencies investigate sex-change procedures for transgender minors as "child abuse."

"The child welfare system in the US, charged with 'improv[ing] the overall health and well-being of our nation’s children and families,' should not be used to deny care or separate families working to make the best decisions for their children’s well-being. There is no scientifically sound research showing negative impacts from providing gender-affirming care," NCTSN claims.

The documents, and an accompanying video from President Joe Biden, were released as part of "Transgender Day of Visibility," an annual event founded by activist Rachel Crandall on March 31, 2009, to raise awareness for transgender people and issues.

Biden instructed parents of children who identify as transgender that "affirming your child's identity is one of the most powerful things you can do to keep them safe."

The president also announced that his administration would take steps to fight laws that prohibit gender dysphoric males from competing against women in sports, such as the "Fairness in Women's Sports" laws passed in several Republican-controlled states.

Biden called these laws "simply wrong" and "hateful," declaring that his administration is "standing up for transgender equality in the classroom, on the playing field, at work, in our military, in our housing and health care systems – everywhere."

A judge in Texas has blocked the governor's order asking state agencies to investigate sex-change procedures for minors as "child abuse." A lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal accuses the order of being unconstitutional.