Trans teen defends affirming healthcare in Senate testimony

While her friends are spending their summers on vacation, Harleigh Walker is lobbying members of the US Senate in defence of her rights. Ms Walker, a 16-year-old trans girl from Auburn, Alabama, testified to the US Senate Judiciary Committee on 21 June to debunk false claims regarding gender-affirming healthcare, a subject that has consumed state legislatures across the country, threatening to ban girls like her from getting the care they need. Her home state was among the first to pass legislation banning affirming care for trans youth. A federal judge has blocked the state from enforcing it. “There has been so much misinformation shared around what it means to be a transgender person, and what healthcare looks like for transgender youth like me,” she said in her prepared remarks. Click here to subscribe to The Independent: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent About The Independent: Making Change Happen. The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. Connect with The Independent: Check out our full video catalog: https://www.youtube.com/c/theindependent/videos Videos, daily editorial and more: http://www.theindy.com Click here to get the best of The Independent daily: https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Like The Independent on Facebook: https://www.fb.com/TheIndependentOnline Follow The Independent on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Independent Follow The Independent on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.independent Download the iOS & Android app: https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app Help to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust - https://www.independent.co.uk/donations Subscribe to Independent Premium for exclusive content & live events: https://bit.ly/2MiOONB