title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ACCESS TO GENDER AFFIRMING CARE
WHEREAS, gender affirming care is crucial for trans and gender diverse children and adults to thrive, grow, and live to their fullest potential; and
WHEREAS, gender affirming care encompasses a range of social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions designed to support and affirm an individual's gender identity when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth; and
WHEREAS, gender affirming care has a great effect on the safety of trans and non-conforming children and adults as studies have shown a significant decrease in suicidal ideation when gender affirming care is provided; and
WHEREAS, decisions about gender-affirming care should be properly made without government intervention through shared decision-making between the patient, their family; and
WHEREAS, 29 of the leading medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Nurses, The Endocrine Society and the American Medical Association recognize the medical necessity of gender affirming care; and
WHEREAS, as a population, transgender people are less likely to be insured than both the lesbian, gay, bisexual population and general population; and among those that are insured, 25% sought coverage for hormones in the past year and were denied and 55% of adults who sought coverage for gender affirming surgery in the past year were denied; and
WHEREAS, laws in states like Arizona, Utah, South Dakota, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have banned gender affirming care including effective interventions like puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and the use of preferred pronouns in schools; and
WHEREAS, these laws give no options for transgender youth to be respected, affirmed, and supported in their communities leading to greater instances of violence towards trans children and adults; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Cook County Board of Comm...
Click here for full text