Discussion · House of Representatives
Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. Democrat
“I oppose this amendment. Gender dysphoria is a real medical condition, and this amendment cruelly denies treatment to service members and their families.”
“Mr. Chair, gender dysphoria is real. It is a real diagnosis, and there is a treatment for it. Yet, our colleagues want to deny them. Both in this debate and in the previous debate, my colleagues have said gender dysphoria is a mental health issue, and it needs to be treated. Yet, they want to deny individuals, the dependents--family members of our servicemembers and those servicemembers--the treatment required in order to help and support them. I have a friend, because of this Nation’s policies, who is being forced--is leaving this country so that her daughter can go get the treatment that she can get in another country. This policy, this amendment, is cruel. It is meant to just basically root out a whole people that exist. You want to deny their existence. That is unfortunate, and it is cruel. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.”
Mr. Chair, gender dysphoria is real. It is a real diagnosis, and there is a treatment for it. Yet, our colleagues want to deny them. Both in this debate and in the previous debate, my colleagues have said gender dysphoria is a mental health issue, and it needs to be treated. Yet, they want to deny individuals, the dependents--family members of our servicemembers and those servicemembers--the treatment required in order to help and support them. I have a friend, because of this Nation’s policies, who is being forced--is leaving this country so that her daughter can go get the treatment that she can get in another country. This policy, this amendment, is cruel. It is meant to just basically root out a whole people that exist. You want to deny their existence. That is unfortunate, and it is cruel. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.