Out White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated the Biden administration’s position on whether gender-affirming health care should be available to minors – that it’s not a decision for the government to make – and many Republicans reacted negatively despite their advocacy of “parents’ rights” over the last several years that they trot out when they want to ban library books or classroom discussions of LGBTQ+ people and racism.
Jean-Pierre was asked about the numerous bills targeting trans youth by taking away their access to health care. Over ten have already passed this year alone, with some going so far as to threaten doctors with jail time for providing treatments supported by major healthcare organizations like the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Indiana just banned puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and gender transition surgeries for minors,” a reporter said at the press briefing yesterday. “I’m wondering what the president’s reaction is to the Indiana governor signing that bill into law. And does the president have a position on at what age these kinds of therapies and surgeries are appropriate?”
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The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you.“That’s something for a child and their parents to decide,” Jean-Pierre responded. “It’s not something that we believe should be decided by — by legislators. So I’ll leave it there.”
Jean-Pierre noted that over 600 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed in state legislatures this year and called trans kids “brave.”
“And so, this is a president that has been committed to this community, that has been committed to our, to our kids in the trans community, to trans youth. And he’s going to continue to fight for them.”
“What a morally twisted view,” Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) said, reacting to Jean-Pierre’s statement. He then said he supported Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) proposed federal ban on trans youth accessing gender-affirming care. The bill would also make it harder for transgender adults to access gender-affirming care.
Far-right Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was also dismayed that President Joe Biden “does NOT support age limits for gender transition hormones and surgery.” Of course, that’s because there are already age limits determined by doctors and health care organizations, despite the false notion on the right that even toddlers are getting bottom surgery nowadays.
