President Joe Biden’s administration has changed its stance on transgender surgeries for minors and now says the procedure should be reserved for adults. The White House under Biden has previously pushed for transgender surgeries to be allowed for children in a battle that went all the way up to the Supreme Court. “Transgender children have the right to access gender-affirming health care” said the administration earlier, in addition to promoting resources on transgender surgeries for youth. “These are deeply personal decisions and we believe these surgeries should be limited to adults,” said a White House spokesperson in an email to 19th News. The Biden administration, however, still agrees minors should be allowed to access other aspects of gender-altering procedures. “We continue to support gender-affirming care for minors, which represents a continuum of care, and respect the role of parents, families, and doctors in these decisions,” wrote the spokesperson. The Supreme Court in response to the Biden administration’s petition on behalf of youth who have gender dysphoria and want to be allowed to undergo procedures to change genders agreed to take up the case and decide if it’s unconstitutional to ban minors from seeking such treatments. Despite its recent statement that the White House determined trans surgery should be for adults only, the federal government does not think they should be legally banned. “As President Biden has repeatedly said, ‘It’s wrong that extreme officials are pushing hateful bills targeting transgender children, terrifying families, and criminalizing doctors. These are our kids. These are our neighbors. It’s cruel and it’s callous,’” the spokesperson told 19th in the email. “Transgender children have been the victims of unacceptable bullying, hate and partisan laws that target them for who they are,” the spokesperson said. The White House statement echoes the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) position on transgender surgery for minors. The AAP endorses “gender-affirming care” for youth and is opposed to banning such procedures — and emphasizes the surgeries should be reserved for adults. The New York Times reported on June 28 the Biden administration gave a short statement in opposition to trans surgery for youth, in the context of a push from Dr. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to remove all age requirements for youth to undergo treatments in attempts to change genders. Levine, a biological male, petitioned the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to remove its new, lowered age limits on gender treatments for young people. WPATH proposed lowering the age minimums to 14 for hormonal treatments, 15 for mastectomies, 16 for breast augmentation or facial surgeries, and 17 for genital surgeries or hysterectomies.Levine, allegedly afraid of backlash from the Pride community, advocated for the removal of all age limitations. “Publishing the proposed lower ages for gender transition surgeries was not supported by science or research and could lead to an onslaught of attacks on the transgender community,” a spokesperson from HHS said in a statement to the Times. The final WPATH guidelines, published in 2022, did not recommend age minimums for transgender procedures, and explained, it was “to reflect that one-size-fits-all health care models, especially transgender care, are not accurate or appropriate for every individual person.”“(Medical professionals have expressed concern) that the listing of ages would lead to further limitations to care by creating or reinforcing arbitrary boundaries to care and/or by ignoring possible contributing health factors including mental health, family support, or other individual health needs.”Biden has spoken many times about transgender procedures for youth, and supported pamphlets from Levine’s department on puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for minors, and when and how a youth should access them.“To all transgender Americans watching at home, especially the young people, you’re so brave,” Biden said in 2021 to a joint session of Congress.“I want you to know your president has your back.” The president echoed the same sentiments in 2024.
