Dear [Your Elected Official],

<p>In a roundabout way, HB2816 makes the case that all people should have the gender-related healthcare that they need. Even though the bill focuses on people who wish to detransition, the underlying premise really is that the state should help people get the kind of gender-related care that fits who they are.</p> <p>But this bill also stigmatizes and polices gender-affirming care for transgender and non-binary people through the introduction of extreme reporting requirements meant to intimidate healthcare providers and those seeking care. It introduces monumental privacy and safety concerns.</p> <p>A recent survey of over 90,000 transgender people found the vast majority have greater life satisfaction after transition. Only 3% did not. No legislation that really seeks to help people in Tennessee should ignore those numbers and experiences as this bill does.</p> <p>The amendment to the bill makes the additional point that it should be easier for everyone to change names and gender markers on official documents. But the amendment focuses only on the rights of those wishing to detransition. That is discriminatory at a time when the state has made it difficult or impossible in some situations to change gender markers on official documents.</p> <p>This bill needs significant amendments to support gender-affirming care and an expedited document change process for everyone. As it stands, this is a dangerous bill that I urge you to reject. Thank you for considering my views.</p>