California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network Responds to Misleading HHS Report on Gender Dysphoria

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recent report on gender dysphoria.  

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“Access to affirming, evidence-based healthcare is essential to the health and well-being of transgender, gender-diverse, and intersex (TGI) youth. Gender-affirming care is not only supported by decades of peer-reviewed research but is often life-saving,” said Dannie Ceseña, Director of the CA LGBTQ HHS Network. “We must actively combat the significant danger posed by false science and misinformation, which is frequently weaponized to create barriers to essential care, inflict profound harm, and justify discrimination against TGI youth under the guise of flawed science and ideological bias.”  

Gender-affirming care is endorsed by major medical and mental health organizations in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. It has been shown to improve mental health outcomes, reduce suicide risk, and help young people thrive. 

Despite this, the HHS report makes a deeply misleading claim that there is “no independent association between gender dysphoria and suicidality,” and that there is “no evidence that pediatric medical transition reduces the incidence of suicide.” This directly contradicts findings from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, which reported that 5% of transgender people who accessed gender-affirming care had attempted suicide in the past year—compared to 9% of those who needed care but could not access it.  

The review comes amid a broader rollback in support for TGI communities, including the NIH’s defunding of research grants focused on LGBTQ+ people and other disproportionately impacted populations. These actions ignore the overwhelming scientific consensus and instead promote a politically driven agenda aimed at undermining care for transgender youth. The Trevor Project’s 2024 National Survey found that 90% of LGBTQ+ young people reported their well-being was negatively impacted by recent politics. 

“There is repeated rhetoric from national health agencies claiming a duty to ‘protect our nation’s children,’ yet this report fails to explain how that obligation can be met,” said Ariela Cuellar, Senior Communications Specialist at the CA LGBTQ HHS Network. “Where is the investment in youth mental health services, peer support programs, and school safety? Instead of addressing real threats—like gun violence, bullying, and social isolation—this report targets TGI youth with misinformation and political scapegoating.”  

Although this report does not change clinical guidelines or existing policies, it lays the dangerous groundwork for future restrictions. In California, access to gender-affirming care remains protected—and the CA LGBTQ HHS Network will continue to fight for policies rooted in scientific evidence and human dignity, not fear or ideology. 

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Press inquiries can be directed to: 

Ariela Cuellar, CA LGBTQ HHS Network, acuellar@health-access.org, (916)-572-2767