Health officials aimed to eliminate obstacles like parental consent in providing gender-affirming care.
A constitutional rights litigation firm uncovered internal emails that shed light on the Biden administration’s efforts to circumvent state restrictions on gender transition medical procedures.
In February, American First Legal (AFL) initiated a legal action against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for allegedly failing to adhere to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by not disclosing communications concerning HHS Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine and transgender clinics, as per the AFL’s press release.
In March 2023, AFL began investigating the HHS by submitting a FOIA request after Mr. Levine publicly expressed the federal government’s support for medical transitioning of children.
The litigation revealed emails indicating that “the Biden Administration is seeking to significantly alter governmental data and statistics on sex in the name of ‘gender identity,’” according to the AFL.
In one email, Mr. Levine conveyed to former Region 10 HHS Regional Director Ingrid Ulrey his empathy for the LGBTQ community after legislation was passed prohibiting the medical transitioning of children.
“We are actively advocating for this issue on a national level and will keep you informed about our strategies,” Mr. Levine stated.
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Accompanying the emails was a summary of questions and definitions the director forwarded to HHS on “gender-affirming care” (GAC).
The summary highlights how health officials aimed to “eliminate barriers” such as parental consent as a requirement for “gender-affirming care,” as well as advocating for “federal intervention” in response to state regulations.
The summary inquired whether Medicaid will continue to cover medical transitioning and in states where it is prohibited, whether it would be “allowed in any correctional facility setting?”
‘Depoliticizing’ Gender-Affirming Care
Ms. Ulrey shared anonymous testimonials from providers who expressed apprehension about losing Medicaid funding for conducting GAC.
“We are aiming to remove politics from this issue by collaborating with the Medical Association to produce informative materials on the benefits of GAC, outside of official sessions,” one provider mentioned in an email.
Ms. Ulrey mentioned an initiative in an Alaskan healthcare system to place “mental health counselors in schools, and they are worried about pushback from advocates of parental rights.”
Throughout the emails, HHS officials portrayed the prohibition of GAC as a civil rights matter and hinted at options like Planned Parenthood or seeking treatment in Canada.
“People travel long distances to access GAC, but there is a lack of post-care support, some receive treatment in Anchorage and then end up homeless or return to their remote villages where the Village Health Aid lacks knowledge about hormonal therapies,” Ms. Ulrey remarked.
‘Gender Lunacy’
According to the AFL, the emails demonstrate the extent to which HHS officials under the Biden administration are willing to go to promote their gender-related ideologies, despite state laws safeguarding children from these risky medical procedures.
“Gender Marxists within Biden’s administration persist in advocating for harmful interventions like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones that jeopardize the fertility of young Americans,” the AFL stated. “If HHS intends to advance ‘gender-affirming care’ in states that have rightfully banned these practices, they should be prepared to face legal consequences.”
Ian Prior, AFL’s senior adviser, denounced HHS officials’ efforts to leverage federal authority as “an anti-science assault on reality, with the nation’s youth as the casualties.”
“While European countries are significantly scaling back on these risky procedures and several states are enacting laws against them, the Biden Administration is forging ahead in its mission to redefine the fundamentals of biology, from medical offices to sports fields,” Mr. Prior emphasized. “This is happening even as the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed states’ rights to enact such laws. The Biden Administration is endorsing atrocities against humanity, and America First Legal will persist in opposing these hazardous practices until they cease.”
The Epoch Times reached out to HHS for a response.
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