(KERO) — Sunday, November 13th marked the beginning of Transgender Awareness Week. 1.6 million Americans identify as transgender and the goal of the week is to raise the visibility of the community in a positive way. The week leads to the National Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, November 20th.
In 2022, at least 15 states have either restricted access to gender-affirming care or taken up legislation that would do so. A recent survey by the Trevor Project indicates that 93 percent of trans and non-binary youths worry about being denied access to care.
Major physician organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association support gender-affirming care. They point to studies that claim transgender children who get hormone therapy enjoy better mental health and have a lessened risk of self-harm.
