As a Maine native with family roots in Alabama, and a current nursing student, I wish to respond to the April 11 Associated Press news story “Transgender treatment ban challenged by lawsuit in Alabama.”

By banning gender-affirming care, lawmakers are missing an opportunity to protect youth. Maine has many precious transgender youths, and it is our job to help them thrive as they grow into our next generation.

Transgender children have an increased risk of suicide relative to cisgender youth. This risk is not because of any inherent biological trait in the individual; rather, it is because of the social rejection transgender youth face.

One of the most protective measures for transgender youth is having their gender identity affirmed by their families and communities. A study of a youth cohort in Canada showed a 60 percent suicide attempt rate among transgender youth with unsupportive families, according to a paper by Jason Rafferty, M.D., in the October 2018 edition of the journal Pediatrics. The rate dropped to 4 percent when the families were strongly supportive and gender-affirming.

As Mainers, we may not be able to influence Alabama legislation. But we can focus on our homes and communities and love our children for who they know themselves to be. By doing so, we will save lives and foster a generation of thriving Mainers.

Lindsay Levesque
Alameda, Calif.

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