Statement from the UDW Pride Member Committee On the House of Representatives’ Vote to Eliminate Access to Transgender Healthcare

SAN DIEGO, CA – The United Domestic Workers (UDW/AFSCME Local 3930) Pride Member Committee, stands in firm and unwavering opposition to the House of Representatives’ passage of legislation that seeks to eliminate access to essential, life-saving healthcare for transgender individuals.

Across the country, transgender people are under heavy, unrelenting attacks – from harmful legislative efforts to deep rooted social stigmas. These assaults generate fear, anger, and depression within the community. For many transgender people, their brains and bodies require hormone levels their bodies cannot naturally produce. Just as women may need hormone replacement therapy or men may require testosterone treatment, transgender individuals need access to gender-affirming hormones to support their mental and physical health.

Transgender people have always been part of the human story. Historical and scientific evidence confirms that gender diversity has been present across time and cultures. Being transgender is a biological reality, not a mental illness. When provided access to hormone therapy, many trans individuals experience rapid and positive health outcomes—affirming why every major medical and psychiatric association recognizes this care as medically necessary.

Limitations on trans healthcare would disproportionately affect low-income individuals, who might not have alternative means to accessing treatment. Without access to appropriate care, transgender individuals face increased risks of adverse physical and mental health outcomes, increased levels of unhousing, lack of food and joblessness.

We call on local, state, and federal leaders to act immediately, every ally, and every legislator with a conscience to speak out now.

Call your representatives and demand they protect access to gender-affirming care. Show up for your trans neighbors in your communities and workplaces. Support organizations that provide direct aid and advocacy for trans individuals.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter. We will not be silent. We will not back down. Trans rights are human rights. Trans healthcare is healthcare. 

We are proud to stand with our transgender siblings—today and always.

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About the UDW Pride Member Committee:
The United Domestic Workers (UDW/AFSCME Local 3930) Pride Member Committee is a group of UDW members who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. As a vital part of UDW’s broader mission as a social justice union, this committee works to uplift and protect LGBTQIA+ voices within the union and in the communities we serve. The UDW Pride Committee is committed to advancing equity, visibility, and dignity for all, organizing to ensure that LGBTQIA+ caregivers and workers are seen, respected, and supported—because our fight for labor rights is inseparable from our fight for human rights.