Philadelphia will become a sanctuary city for gender-affirming care

This afternoon, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D) is set to declare Philadelphia a safe haven for those seeking gender-affirming care.

Kenney’s executive order, portions of which were obtained by Axios, will ban the use of city resources in investigations that would punish anyone seeking gender-affirming care in the city. It also states that if federal or state restrictions are passed regarding gender-affirming care, the city will deprioritize enforcing these laws. Additionally, the order makes gender-affirming care available to people in city jails.

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GOP-led state legislatures have been banning gender-affirming care across the country. Philadelphia has joined a growing number of cities and states creating safe haven policies in response to or in anticipation of possible bans being established in their state, as well as to provide protections to those who live in states that ban gender-affirming care but travel to states where it’s legal to receive the treatments they need.

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Many places that have become safe havens have made it clear they will not work with out-of-state law enforcement officials looking to punish those who travel to receive legal healthcare.

Cities that have recently declared themselves safe havens include Ithaca, New York; New York City; Lawrence, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri. Minnesota, Washington, New York, Colorado, and California are also among the 11 states (plus Washington D.C.) that have passed laws declaring the entire state a safe haven for gender-affirming care. Three additional states – Arizona, Maryland, and New Jersey – have passed executive orders declaring the same.

The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend best-practice gender-affirming care for transgender children and adults, saying it has positive mental health outcomes and is not harmful. This past June, the American Medical Association doubled down on its support for trans health care by voting to protect access for youth and adults at its annual meeting.

The esteemed organization of doctors from all medical fields drafted a resolution, sponsored by the Endocrine Society, committing the organization to opposing any criminal and legal penalties against patients seeking gender-affirming care, family members or guardians who support them in seeking medical care, and health care facilities and clinicians who provide gender-affirming care.

A statement from the Endocrine Society said that gender-affirming care bans “do not reflect the research landscape. More than 2,000 scientific studies have examined aspects of gender-affirming care since 1975.”

The group noted that while politicians have painted gender-affirming care for youth as radical, proper care procedures are conservative and measured. Despite widespread claims by the right, they note that genital surgery is only done after the age of 18. Instead, the standard of care involves using hormone treatment to delay puberty to maximize the time teenagers and their families have to explore their gender identity and make decisions about future care.