In New Report, HHS Ignores the Facts & Again Looks to Hand Power to Political Hacks, Not Parents or Doctors

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, denounced HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy’s so-called “peer-reviewed report” of youth gender-affirming care, a politically-motivated document filled with outright lies and misinformation. This peer response report is similar to the report released in May, which had a predetermined outcome dictated by grossly uninformed political actors that have deliberately mischaracterized health care for transgender youth despite the uniform, science-backed conclusion of the American medical and mental health experts to the contrary. 

Trans people’s health care is delivered in age-appropriate, evidence-based ways, and decisions to provide care are made in consultation with doctors and parents, just like health care for all other people. Every major medical and mental health organization — including the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association — recognize that it is medically necessary to support people in affirming their gender identity. For more information, visit HRC’s resource page ‘Get the Facts on Gender-Affirming Care’.

HRC Senior Public Policy Advocate Matthew Rose released the following statement: 

“Transgender people exist. They are part of our families. They are friends, coworkers, and fellow citizens. And they are our children. Like every young person in this country, transgender people deserve love, support, and a fair shot at living a good life.

Today’s sham report from HHS is far from a scientific review — it’s a political document. Without any actual data of its own, the report misrepresents the overwhelming body of research that has led every major American medical and mental health association to declare gender-affirming care as best practice. Instead, it follows a script predetermined not by experts but by Secretary Kennedy, political hacks, and far-right organizations who have made clear they are willing to sideline science, parents, and reputable doctors to score political points.

We’ve seen this tactic before: question experts, attack institutions, and disregard the humanity of LGBTQ+ people. No matter how they spin it, the goal is the same — to resurrect disproven treatments that echo the conversion therapy our community knows all too well. Those efforts caused real harm. We refuse to let them be repeated on another generation.

We will fight for our youth, for science, and for the truth every step of the way.” 

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.