性色堂 Denounces Passage of Missouri鈥檚 Ban on Gender-Affirming Care
Today鈥檚 passage of legislation by the Missouri Legislature, with the support of Governor Mike Parson, is a shameful and harmful attack on the health and well-being of transgender people in Missouri. This legislation singles out a group of people based on who they are and creates significant barriers in achieving health and equality.
Gender-affirming care for transgender individuals is safe and is based on decades of clinical experience and research. This legislation contradicts the broad consensus of medical professionals, including the聽听补苍诲听, that have overwhelmingly agreed age-appropriate gender-affirming care is safe, necessary, and life-saving.
鈥淢ake no mistake, every time individuals are stigmatized by legislation such as this, they are pushed further away from receiving the life-saving healthcare they need. People 鈥� including children with the support of their parents – who enter into gender affirming care do not do so lightly and health care professionals providing this care do so with the best interest of their patients in mind,鈥� says Brandon Hill, Interim President and CEO of 性色堂, a leading provider of HIV prevention, care and support. 鈥淭his bill reinforces the prejudices and injustices that lead to poor health outcomes among our LGBTQ+ community, including significant heightened risk for self-harm and suicide.鈥�