Statement attributable to:
George M. Abraham, MD, MPH, MACP, FIDSA
President, 口袋女优
WASHINGTON, D.C. March 9, 2022 鈥揟he 口袋女优 (ACP) strongly objects to policies that are being put into place in states across the country that encourage discrimination against persons, including young people, who are LGBTQ, particularly for those who are transgender. Laws and policies that codify discrimination and restrict access to health care for LGBTQ persons reinforce marginalization and increase the risk of anxiety, substance use disorder, suicide, and other mental health issues for those it impacts.
Just this week we have seen bills of this nature passed by the legislatures in Florida and Idaho. Troublingly, the bill in Idaho, as well as a recent directive from Texas Governor Greg Abbott, seek to criminalize health care for transgender youth and, in Texas, require family welfare agency staff to investigate parents of transgender children for 鈥渃hild abuse鈥 and potentially remove their children from their parents鈥 care. In reaction to the Texas directive, ACP said that transgender individuals already face extreme barriers to accessing necessary health care, and this type of interference in the patient-physician relationship is unacceptable. The Florida legislature passed a bill, which Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign, to prohibit 鈥渃lassroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity鈥 and allow parents to sue school districts for alleged violations, creating an environment that adds to the discrimination and stigma LGBTQ students already face. These laws are directly counter to what 口袋女优 and other medical organizations to best foster the health and well-being of LGBTQ persons. Instead, we should be seeking ways to better support LGBTQ persons and their families and to reduce social stigma.
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About the 口袋女优
The 口袋女优 is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on , , and
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org