As one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive medical systems, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine’s mission statements aim to provide the highest quality and most compassionate care to all those who seek it. Medical providers take a pledge to “respect the autonomy and dignity of our patients” and “maintain the utmost respect for human life without considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, or social standing”. Statements targeting the care of transgender youth, like those made by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, run in stark and direct contrast to the ethos of medicine, our mission statements, and professional values. These politically motivated calls to criminalize gender-affirming care pose a direct threat to the health and well-being of the entire transgender community, and we reject them wholeheartedly.
In support of the transgender community, we pledge to continue providing individualized and personalized care plans to fit the unique needs of our gender-diverse youth. Instead of portraying their health care as criminal and abusive, we pledge to continue offering our trans youth evidence-based medical assessments and treatments which are supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychological Association.
Instead of remaining silent in the face of divisiveness and angry rhetoric, we will strengthen our resolve to continue providing gender-affirming care to our transgender youth. We will leverage the power of our medical associations and institutions to fight against legislation which threatens their physical and emotional health by limiting access to medically necessary, and potentially lifesaving, care. As medical professionals and humanitarians, we must continue to advocate for all of our patients and their families, including this vulnerable population.
Sallie Permar, M.D., Ph.D.
Nancy C. Paduano Professor and Chair of Pediatrics Weill Cornell Medicine
Pediatrician-in-Chief NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
In collaboration with members of the Pediatric Diversity Coalition:
Zoltan Antal, M.D.
Jane Chang, M.D.
Nicole Kucine, M.D.
Joy D. Howell, M.D.