(You can find this shirt here.)
The attack on trans rights across the country is escalating. The latest victim to the hate Republicans are spewing is the Department of Adolescent Medicine at Dell Children's Hospital in Austin, Texas. All of the doctors have "departed." The department itself released a statement providing no clarification that says:
"Dell Children’s Medical Group Adolescent Medicine clinic has not closed. We are working with our staff, families, and other providers to ensure our patients’ safety and make sure we are helping families connect with the appropriate healthcare services. While the physicians who previously staffed the clinic will be departing, the clinic remains open and supported by other physicians within Dell Children’s Medical Group. We continue to be advocates for the best possible care and treatment for children in Central Texas."
Parents of patients have received calls from the department notifying them that "all of the doctors affiliated with the Adolescent Medicine Clinic are leaving." Come to find out, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is “investigating” the department for providing gender-affirming care.
As of the publishing of this article on 5/15/23, gender-affirming care is not illegal in Texas. Texas House Republicans are considering SB14, which seeks to criminalize gender affirming care, but it has not passed as of right now.
This is what happens when you combine fascism with capitalism in a for-profit health industry. Healthcare should never be for-profit. NEVER. Because they will put profits over people every single time.
This department didn't just do gender-affirming care. They handled eating disorders, anxiety, depression, adolescent OB/GYN issues, and kids who are cancer survivors, to name a few. Christian extremist republicans want to hurt, maim, and destroy anyone who is trans, and they don't care who the collateral damage is.
Children’s Hospitals across the country are getting threats from Christian extremists because evidence-based care supports gender-affirming care. All the leading medical organizations support gender-affirming care for trans people and gender-diverse people, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Medical Association, the Endocrine Society, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (to name a few).
That’s because when gender-affirming care is provided to trans people, it substantially lowers their risk of suicide.
I know it's overwhelming, but do not despair. That is what Republicans want you to do. They are passing all of these bills, hundreds of them all over the country, in an attempt to terrify us. Because when we are terrified, we are easier to control. And they’re also doing this to exhaust us, because when you're exhausted, you're too tired to fight back.
Instead, allow yourself to get angry. Anger powerful motivator and it can change the country. Republicans may be winning (temporarily) with all these little battles. They’re preening like peacocks and so proud of themselves.
But we will win the war.
We won’t just quietly allow them to treat our loved ones this way. WE are the majority. And we won’t stand back and allow them to mistreat, oppress, and abuse marginalized groups. Trans rights are human rights. Trans people are human beings who deserve to be treated with compassion and dignity.
We stand with the trans community and will continue to fight for them.