American Psychological Association takes a stand against bans on gender-affirming care for minors

The American Psychological Association (APA) announced a new policy resolution Wednesday opposing state laws restricting access to gender-affirming care for minors.

The resolution was approved by the organization’s Council of Representatives by a 153–9 vote, with one abstention, on February 24, and represents a major refutation by the largest psychological association in the world of many of the anti-trans talking points that have been used to bolster efforts to ban gender-affirming care in states across the U.S.

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The APA affirmed its support for “unobstructed access to healthcare and evidence-based clinical care for transgender, gender-diverse, and nonbinary children, adolescents, and adults,” as well as increased public access to “timely and accurate information founded in clinical and psychological science.”

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Laws restricting access to gender-affirming care, the policy statement read, “disregard the comprehensive body of psychological and medical research supporting the positive impact of gender-affirming treatments” and “disrupt not only the role of providers in offering evidence-based care but also obstruct patient and parental rights in shared decision-making.”

The bans pose “a direct threat to the mental health and emotional well-being of transgender, gender-diverse, and nonbinary youth, exacerbating the already high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts among this vulnerable population” and heightening “the risk of negative mental health outcomes among children, adolescents, and adults.”

The statement made APA’s opposition to state bans on gender-affirming care clear, describing them as “contrary to the principles of evidence-based healthcare, human rights, and social justice.” These laws and policies, which have passed in 24 states across the U.S. in recent years, “should be reconsidered in favor of policies that prioritize the well-being and autonomy of transgender, gender-diverse, and nonbinary individuals,” the resolution states.

The APA also addressed the proliferation of misinformation about gender-affirming care and gender dysphoria, which has also contributed to right-wing efforts to pass anti-trans laws. The organization said that efforts to mischaracterize gender dysphoria as “a manifestation of traumatic stress or neurodivergence” and to equate gender-affirming care to child abuse have created a distorted perception of necessary psychological and medical care and created an environment of hostility that adversely affects the mental health and wellbeing of trans young people.

APA President Cynthia de las Fuentes said the new policy resolution “sends a clear message that state bans on gender-affirming care disregard the comprehensive body of medical and psychological research supporting the positive impact of such treatments in alleviating psychological distress and improving overall well-being for transgender, gender diverse and nonbinary individuals throughout their lives.”

“We believe that access to evidence-based health care is a fundamental right for everyone, and this policy reflects our commitment to promoting social justice and equity in health care,” de las Fuentes said. “APA also affirms the essential role and legal rights of parents and caregivers to ensure the well-being of children and adolescents while honoring their expressed gender identity, including being involved in health care decision-making, and supporting developmentally appropriate youth self-advocacy.”

While nearly all major American medical organizations have issued policies endorsing gender-affirming care as safe and evidence-based, according to journalist Erin Reed the APA’s policy statement is one of the few that has so comprehensively rebutted anti-trans talking points and misinformation. Reed also notes that the APA’s statement represents a consensus among the organization’s 157,000 members, countering the anti-trans narrative that there is no scientific consensus supporting access to gender-affirming care for young people.