AAP Speaks Out Against The HHS Report on Transgender Care

Anti-vaxer HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifying before a Senate committee Wednesday. / Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Zuma

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) joined five other medical organizations representing 600,000 physicians and medical students have said in a press release that they are "deeply alarmed" by the report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on medical care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals."

"President Donald J. Trump called for the report in a Jan. 28 executive order on gender-affirming care, which he refers to as “chemical and surgical mutilation.” An April 28 update on actions taken since the order was signed touts the elimination of $477 million in related research grant funding, making plans to remove gender-affirming care as a covered benefit for the children of federal employees and exploring ways to increase access to detransition care."

(The term "gender mutilation" was used 16 times in the HHS report, and "detransition care" is Trump speak for conversion therapy, a damaging, unethical practice that is banned in 27 states.)

"The update follows an April 22 memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi threatening physicians with felony charges for providing certain types of gender-affirming care."

The AAP joined five other medical organizations representing 600,000 physicians and medical students opposing infringements on the patient-physician relationship.

Susan J. Kressly, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement that the AAP "was not consulted in the development of this report, yet the AAP's policy and intentions behind our recommendations were cited throughout in inaccurate and misleading ways. The report prioritizes opinions over dispassionate reviews of evidence."

She urged policymakers to consider the “full breadth of peer-reviewed research” and said the AAP would continue to support pediatricians and the well-being of all children.

"This report misrepresents the current medical consensus and fails to reflect the realities of pediatric care."

"As we have seen with immunizations, bypassing medical expertise and scientific evidence has real consequences for the health of America's children. AAP was not consulted in the development of this report, yet our policy and intentions behind our recommendations were cited throughout in inaccurate and misleading ways. The report prioritizes opinions over dispassionate reviews of evidence."

"We urge government officials and policymakers to approach these conversations with care, humility, and a commitment to considering the full breadth of peer-reviewed research. The AAP remains focused on supporting pediatricians in delivering the best possible care to every child, informed by science and the lived experiences of patients and families. We will continue to support the well-being of all children and access to high-quality care that meets their needs," the statement concludes.

Planet Trans informed our readers prior to the publication of the HHS report that it would likely be a political hit job similar to the Cass Review. In tone and form, NPR reports, the HHS report mirrors the Cass Review, published in the U.K. last year and commissioned by the National Health Service. The name "Cass" is cited 149 times in the HHS report, according to NPR.

Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP, who was president of the AAP in 2022, issued a statement in support of gender-affirming care, as have 30 other American medical associations, when laws were being passed at the state level denying such care to adolescents.

Related: In war against Trans healthcare Trump Threatens Medical Publications

The AAP joined five other medical organizations representing 600,000 physicians and medical students, condemning the HHS Document.

Texas Advances Bill to Force Transgender People to Detransition

The blood of transgender people will be on Abbott's hands

The Texas House advanced HB 229 on Saturday, which defines men and women based on the reproductive organs they were born with, and orders state records to reflect this binary. The bill, titled the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” lays out the “biological truth for anybody who is confused,” said author Rep. Ellen Troxclair, an Austin Republican.

The House and the Senate passed HB 1257, which requires medical insurers to cover the cost of detransitioning, I.E., conversion therapy.

HB 229 is expected to pass its third and final reading next week and then be sent to the Senate, which has introduced bills with similar intent.

The Texas legislative session ends on June 2, and Gov. Abbott hasn't called a special session to pass the Senate bill, but if he does, this draconian assault on our humanity will be law on September 1, 2025.

Since neither the House nor Senate bill included a criminal penalty, House republicans introduced HB 3817, a bill to make identifying oneself as transgender to employers or police a state felony. While HB 3817 remains in committee, that most likely is by design. By my estimate, it will be brought to a floor vote at a later session as it will give Texas AG Paxton a means to jail gender variant people, something he craves to do.

When this bill becomes law, Texas Tribune Reports, trans Texans would be forced to be defined in state records by the sex they were assigned at birth, rather than the gender they identify as, even if they’ve already legally changed their birth certificates and driver’s licenses, or had gender affirming surgeries.

So, how did we get here?

As you may recall, Texas AG Ken Paxton issued an opinion on March 14, 2025, instructing state agencies to retroactively revert gender markers on drivers' licenses, state IDs, and birth certificates to that of the individual's sex at birth.

The 19-page opinion was issued after DPS stopped accepting Court-Ordered Gender Updates for Driver's Licenses and in response to a letter sent by then Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw to Paxton asking if the DPS had the authority to ignore court orders and revert driver licenses to the sex they were before they were changed.

Former Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw was correct in questioning the legality of Paxton's directive. That's why the bills you see now are making their way through the legislature.

Ending transgender people in Texas has long been a top priority of Governor Abbott. When Trump published his executive order stating that there are only two sexes, Abbott officially put the state on notice of his terrible intentions.

These bills have no rational reason to exist and will destroy thousands of lives. Trans people who remain in Texas will no longer be able to drive their cars, work, or pay rent, unless they comply. It is a commonly stated position among trans people who aren't able to leave Texas that they would die before detransitioning. I am among that number.

Updated 5/15/2025.