Freedom to Be: Why Gender-Affirming Care Is an American Right
Each July, Americans celebrate their freedom rights as outlined in the Declaration of Independence: the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For transgender Americans, that means the right to work and live openly, safely, and authentically, which in turn is made possible through access to gender-affirming health care. This form of medicine is not a threat to freedom; it’s what makes freedom possible, and it’s a fundamental part of American ideals.
What Is Gender-Affirming Care?
Political rhetoric often reduces gender-affirming care to a single and highly sensationalized procedure. But at its core, it works to support diverse gender identities in multifaceted ways. Major medical organizations and healthcare providers define it as a broad spectrum of evidence-based healthcare designed to help transgender and nonbinary people live safely, authentically, and in good health.
Gender-affirming care can include any, some, or all of the following:
Mental healthcare
Primary care
Social support
Voice therapy
Reproductive healthcare
Hormone therapy
In some cases, surgery
Importantly, not every transgender person seeks the same forms of care. Medical providers create treatment plans tailored to each patient’s needs and wishes, which may also be guided by patients, families, and other health professionals. For some people, affirmation may involve counseling, changing names or pronouns, or accessing support groups. Others may benefit from medical treatments that help align their physical characteristics with their gender identity.
Gender-Affirming Care Is Standard Care
Medical experts have repeatedly stressed that gender-affirming care follows established standards of care and is supported by leading professional organizations. Testimony submitted to Congress by major medical associations explains that this care is evidence-based, carefully evaluated, and often life-saving for transgender individuals.
At its core, gender-affirming care is about allowing Americans the freedom to live honestly and safely while accessing the same dignity, privacy, and medically appropriate healthcare that others expect for themselves and their families.
Access to Gender-Affirming Care Saves Lives
For many transgender people, access to gender-affirming care is not merely about comfort or identity expression. It is directly connected to survival.
Anti-Trans Attitudes Kill
Research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that transgender people experience disproportionately high rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts compared with the general population. These mental health disparities are not inherent to being transgender. Rather, researchers consistently point to discrimination, stigma, harassment, rejection, and barriers to healthcare as major contributing factors.
Anti-Trans Laws Kill
Studies have also found that anti-transgender state laws have been associated not only with worse mental health outcomes, but dramatic increases in suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary youth. According to the study, suicide attempts among transgender and nonbinary young people increased by as much as 72% in states that enacted anti-transgender laws. These laws include restricting transgender health care access and participation in public life.
Conversely, access to gender-affirming medical care is associated with improved mental health outcomes and reduced suicidality among transgender individuals.
Anti-Trans Deaths Are America’s Loss
In short, hate-based policies and misinformation can have deadly consequences. Every young person pushed toward hopelessness by misinformation, exclusion, or denial of healthcare represents lost creativity, talent, leadership, friendship, love, and community participation. And each loss diminishes our entire society, from sea to dimming sea.
Anti-Trans Discrimination Is Anti-American
In a nation founded on ideals of liberty and individual freedom, preventable suffering caused by fear and prejudice breaks the promise that all people deserve the opportunity to pursue life, freedom, and happiness safely. It’s a betrayal of the republic for which so many self-titled patriots raucously claim to stand each Fourth of July.
Debunking the Cost Myth
Because most Americans receive healthcare coverage through their employers, workplace insurance policies play a major role in whether transgender people can access medically necessary care. As a result, a common unsubstantiated piece of rhetoric against gender-affirming care is that inclusive healthcare coverage is costly for employers and insurance providers.
Research shows otherwise. Studies consistently show that transgender-inclusive coverage has a negligible financial impact on employers overall, particularly when spread across large insurance pools. Employers who add transgender-inclusive benefits typically experience only minimal increases in overall healthcare costs.
What Denying Gender-Affirming Care Costs America
At the same time, denying care can create real and substantial financial consequences.
Burdens on Society
The National Health Law Program explains that restricting access to care can increase mental health crises, emergency care utilization, and long-term health complications, all of which carry economic costs for healthcare systems, families, schools, and employers.
Lost Engagement and Productivity for Employers
Healthcare advocates also note that supportive workplaces often experience improved employee retention, morale, and recruitment outcomes when workers feel respected and protected. Affirming healthcare environments help reduce stress and improve overall well-being, allowing employees to participate more fully and productively at work.
Healthy Americans Make America Great, Then, Now, and Always
When transgender people can safely access gender-affirming care, they are better positioned to thrive in every part of life. Improved mental health, reduced anxiety and depression, greater stability, and stronger self-confidence all contribute to healthier families, workplaces, and communities.
Like any other Americans, transgender individuals deserve the freedom to pursue education, careers, relationships, creativity, and civic participation without unnecessary barriers to healthcare or dignity. Ensuring access to medically appropriate care strengthens communities by allowing more people to live openly, contribute their talents, and fully participate in society.
Employers interested in creating more supportive, inclusive, and successful workplaces can learn more by partnering with TransCanWork, an organization focused on expanding economic opportunity and workplace inclusion for transgender people.
This Fourth of July and beyond, it’s time we don’t just pledge our allegiance to liberty and justice for all, but actually make it happen.
Support Freedom for All With TCW
At TCW, we envision a world where the barriers to employment for transgender individuals are dismantled so they can pursue fulfilling careers free from discrimination and prejudice. This vision encompasses several key elements that enable empowerment, equality, and dignity for transgender workers everywhere.
We are creating a culture where gender diverse people can thrive in the workplace. Our career services can help you navigate not just job interviews but the job market as a whole.
We promote the implementation of policies that protect the rights of transgender workers, including nondiscrimination policies, health care coverage for gender-affirming treatments, and appropriate restroom and dress code accommodations.
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