PA Counseling Co-op and the Right to Trans Healthcare
The Pennsylvania Counseling Cooperative stands with the trans community and remains an inclusive and welcoming space for individuals of all sexual and gender identities and expressions. We reject and repudiate the counterfactual and unscientific invalidation of transgender identities, and maintain our commitment to providing client-centered, evidence-based care to all people. Gender identity development is a healthcare need and right, and PCC stands by its right to ensure and provide healthcare services to trans clients and communities regardless of political pressure.
Some lawmakers have been vocal about their intentions to roll back existing legal protections and civil rights for the trans community, including removing Title IX protections for trans students, banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, and possibly even seeking to roll back bans on trans individuals serving in our nation’s military and banning gender-affirming care for veterans
Healthcare needs should lie solely within the purview of the client and the provider; not with public or private institutions, governmental or otherwise. The Pennsylvania Counseling Cooperative firmly asserts our support for the trans community and its allies. Trans rights are human rights; to declare anything less would be a violation of professional ethics and principles, defy the conclusions of medical science, and stand as a betrayal of fundamental human decency.
References
Crary, D. (15 November, 2024). Transgender-rights advocates say the election of Trump and his allies marks a major setback. APNews.com. Retrieved 16 December, 2024 from: https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-transgender-rights-lgbtq-donald-trump-3bb3ace81ff32b6dec382b486ec6a772.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (22 July, 2021). Transgender and gender diverse persons. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved 16 December, 2024 from: https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/trans.htm.
Gecker, J. & Lurye, S. (13 November, 2024). Trump pledged to roll back protections for transgender students. They’re flooding crisis hotlines. APNews.com. Retrieved 16 December, 2024 from: https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-trump-title-ix-1b9d3a1d928ea78c21372da63600c6d1.
Herman, J.L., Flores, A.R., & O’Neill, K.K. (June 2022). How many adults and youth identify as transgender in the United States? [Report]. UCLA School of Law | Williams Institute. Retrieved from: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Trans-Pop-Update-Jun-2022.pdf.
Sherman, M. (24 June, 2024). Supreme Court will take up state bans on gender-affirming care for minors. APNews.com. Retrieved 16 December, 2024 from: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-health-tennessee-kentucky-75e3b446513f61281013a2bf86248044.
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