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Ed. Note:  The following opinion piece was written by Dr. Loren Cannon, a Cal Poly Humboldt lecturer and the author of “The Politicization of Trans Identity: An Analysis of Backlash, Scapegoating, and Dog-Whistling from Obergefell to Bostock,” published by Bloomsbury.

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I think most folks are aware that the welfare of transgender Americans has become exceptionally targeted in our politically charged culture wars. While transgender persons have always been marginalized in our country, it wasn’t always the case that there were literally hundreds of pieces of legislation and additional executive orders crafted each year that target trans individuals. It wasn’t always the case the lives of trans persons were the topic of so many political speeches. There was even a time, in recent memory, that trans health care was celebrated in Humboldt County.

I have on my wall an unframed certificate. It is signed by Senator Noreen Evans (2nd District) and reads:

State of California Senate, Certificate of Recogntion

Improving the Health of People in Transgender People in Humboldt.

Humboldt Health Council,

January 29th 2011.

I am not the only one who received this certificate and I am not referencing it to imply that my participation was any different or any more laudable than other community members who also served. The Humboldt Health Council met with representatives from the Open Door clinic in Arcata and discussed how to serve the health needs of trans persons here in our own community. It wasn’t a revolutionary idea, but at the time many Humboldt trans folks were either denied care or told to drive to San Francisco and try to secure it there.

Then as now, many people don’t have the time or money to travel so far to access health care, nor have the connections in SF to ensure access. Importantly, the “just go to SF” response was more than just impractical, it was ostracizing. It sent the message that the health needs of trans and gender non-binary persons were unimportant, unprioritized and somehow irrelevant to the health care goals of our home county. Those who served in the Humboldt Health Council were thrilled to work with Open Door Arcata to start a Trans Clinic that was intentionally inclusive, and since 2011 the care providers of Open Door have greatly benefited our community. As evidenced by this very dusty certificate on my wall, Senator Evans was also pleased with Humboldt being one of the first rural counties to provide care of this kind.

I am acutely aware that the adage “times change” is certainly as true for our North Coast home as it is in our country more broadly. I am one of few philosophers who write about the current moral, legal and political climate and its impact on transgender citizens. Indeed, scapegoating small populations within a society is not a new tactic, but the intensity of transgender scapegoating happening now was nearly unimaginable a mere 15 years ago, when our efforts to have inclusive health care in Arcata were temporarily realized.

It is from this perspective that I consider accounts that our own Open Door Clinic leadership has decided to discontinue gender-affirming care for new clients who are trans youth (those 19 years old and younger). While the federal government’s agenda is clear, some health care providers have remained steadfast in their commitment to the health of their community. I admit I am disappointed in any acquiescence to the federal government’s pressure.

Timothy Snyder wrote “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.” Much of what he wrote in this very small book is relevant today. His first piece of advice is “Do Not Obey in Advance.” Some call this anticipatory compliance. Obeying in advance sends a message to authoritarian rulers that they can push for more harmful and ostracizing policies. It is health care for trans youth that is being cut today. We have already seen a diminishment of reproductive rights, the rights of our immigrant neighbors, even the right to confront federal officers when they are harming our community members. The rolling back of rights will not stop at trans youth, nor trans adults, nor immigrants. Most importantly, the trans youth of Humboldt County deserve life-enhancing health care, as do all of us. We should not sacrifice the health and wellbeing of our trans youth in these polarizing and misguided culture wars.

Secondly, Snyder reminds us to “remember professional ethics.” Serving the health care needs of all Humboldt county residents is an issue of health care justice. Health care justice means providing care for patients regardless of what identities of race, gender identity, class, ability and gender expression they carry with them through the clinic door. Health care ethics also involve following the most professional research relevant to treatment options. For example, look up the recent Washington School of Public Health Study, that by the Trevor Project, and the reassertion of the American Medical Association regarding the efficacy of trans-inclusive health care. Trans-inclusive health care saves lives and allows our youth the gift of dreaming of a healthy adulthood.

Thirdly, in times like these, Snyder encourages us to “believe in truth.” The anti-trans rhetoric has reached feverish heights, asserting that children are “transitioned at school” and that gender-affirming surgery is a typical treatment of trans youth. Both of these claims, as well as others that disparage the very character of trans persons, are simply false. They are constructed to make us fearful, used as “click bait” for advertisers, and to herd us into a corral of political ideology that only serves to get someone in office and pad their own pockets as a result. The truth is that we should stand together as a community, value all our members and provide the medical care needed to all of Humboldt County’s residents.

Lastly, I understand that there may be a possibility of some sort of remote treatment option for trans youth in our area, given that the Open Door is being slammed shut for some. Let’s not fool ourselves, this option isn’t much better than the “drive to San Francisco” option of years past. Not everyone can access this kind of health care and not everyone thrives when talking to a tiny face on a screen. In-person community medicine is what is needed here, not more screen time for youth or anyone else. Even more worrisome, this kind of care can be shut down overnight. The service will be targeted, closed and our youth will be left out in the cold. Like a power outage, there simply will be no one there. No community, no support, no connection and no care. I am in agreement with many thinkers that have informed my view; nothing takes the place of community support, and nothing ever will.

I implore Open Door to reconsider their decision.