Pride Month and Beyond: Finding Hope and Caring for All Kids

Pride Month is here and as some in-person celebrations resume, political leaders across the country have introduced a record number of legislative bills targeting the very LGBTQ+ rights Pride Month honors.

Among those called into question is the right of transgender and non-binary youth to access gender-affirming care —a form of healthcare that supports and affirms an individual’s gender identity and expression.

Legislation to ban gender-affirming care up to age 18 passed in Idaho and Montana in April. Around the same time, Washington state passed a shield law to protect people seeking, providing or helping others obtain reproductive or gender-affirming care in Washington. These bills affect our patients and families as well as our care teams at Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic.

Gender-affirming care can include using a patient’s chosen name and pronouns as well as a range of medical interventions. The Gender Clinic, which opened in 2016, provides gender-affirming medical care for adolescents, including puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormones and mental health support.

By providing a welcoming and affirming care environment, we can all play a role in creating a safe space and a positive healthcare experience for gender-diverse patients.