National Council of Jewish Women Outraged that Congress Passed an Anti-Trans Provision in the National Defense Authorization Act

National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is outraged that the Senate passed a defense authorization bill today that includes a provision prohibiting gender-affirming care for military families. If enacted, this would be the first time in decades that an anti-LGBTQ+ policy is enshrined into federal law, since the Defense of Marriage Act prohibiting the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages passed in 1996.

This harmful gender-affirming care ban in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will deny military dependents necessary health care services that have been shown to reduce suicide risk, depression, and anxiety, and enhance overall well-being. 

Targeting military youth with this ban will cause unnecessary distress to both dependents and service members and undermine the sacrifice we ask them to make every day. Children and youth relying on military health care for their physical and mental wellbeing deserve better. Military families making sacrifices for our country deserve better.

Trans youth are sacred. We are all created in God’s image, and deserve to live our lives with dignity. Our military service members, every community, and our entire country relied on Congress to pass an NDAA that protects and provides for military families. While leaders succeeded in ensuring military personnel  can access no-cost birth control, with the inclusion of this ban they have failed trans youth, military families, and all of those who value equity and justice.

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