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Public commenters at State House urge preservation of gender-affirming health care for transgender youth
Summary
Public commenters at the Vermont State House told lawmakers that access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth must be preserved, describing personal threats and violence that drove some families to relocate to Vermont.
At the Vermont State House, public commenters urged lawmakers to preserve access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, saying recent political developments could threaten current services.
The speakers described personal experiences and safety concerns that, they said, make access to medical and supportive care a life-or-death matter for some young people. “I am asking you to put yourself in these youth's shoes,” Quantine Howard said, arguing that restrictions could push vulnerable young people toward self-harm. “Liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness for all means for all, not just for some, not for no 1, for all,” Howard added.
Quantine Howard, a commenter, told the public comment period that Vermont currently offers broad access to gender-affirming care but that access may be at risk “because of people and higher power,” and asked legislators to keep existing rights in place. Miss Lewis, a senior at Northeast Kingdom Learning Services, said she moved from Texas to Vermont because Vermont is “a trans sanctuary state” and she has been able to find “a meaningful support system to get gender affirming care,” which she said allowed her to “have a life where I'm happy.” Lewis said that when she lived in Texas her parents could not legally support her without risk of being charged with child abuse and that she faced repeated assaults there; she said her family fled to Vermont for safety.
A commenter identified as Woody asked whether Lewis was able to receive care in the Northeast Kingdom, and Lewis said that, despite the region’s conservative reputation, she had found more accepting adults there and access to care. A staff member running the public-comment sequence thanked the speakers and noted other scheduled events later in the morning.
No formal votes or actions were taken during the public comment period. Speakers asked lawmakers to preserve current access to gender-affirming services and emphasized the role such care plays in safety and well-being for transgender youth.
