Joint Statement condemning the harmful conflation of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) with gender-affirming care
The U.S. End FGM/C Network, Equality Now, Sahiyo, and The World Professional Association for Transgender Health are disheartened by the harmful and inaccurate conflation of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)– a recognized human rights violation which all of our organizations are committed to addressing– with gender-affirming care, an essential form of healthcare treatment for transgender individuals. […]
Sahiyo’s response to recent Executive Orders by the Trump Administration
To our Sahiyo community, We realize that the past few weeks have been stressful to say the least. With the new administration’s slew of Executive Orders targeting the most vulnerable and the dismantlement of DEI programs at various organizations, we acknowledge that fear and trepidation are on the rise. If you’re in need of support, […]
Sahiyo condemns recent executive order conflating female genital mutilation/cutting with gender-affirming care
At Sahiyo, we are disheartened and frustrated by the harmful conflation between female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and gender-affirming care made in a recent Executive Order issued by the Trump Administration. While this is unfortunately not the first attempt made by government officials to co-opt anti-FGM/C legislation to criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender and non-binary youth, […]
A Space to Belong: My Reflection on the 2023 Activist Retreat
By: Umme Kulsoom Arif Pronouns: they/them Age: 29 Why Did You Want To Attend The Activist Retreat? I attended the Activist Retreat for the first time virtually in 2022, and it was a really affirming experience over those three days. However, I was really excited for an in-person retreat, especially because I had not really […]
Proposed legislation in Idaho and Texas discriminates against Transgender Youth and removes protections for children at risk of undergoing FGC
By Hunter Kessous Texas and Idaho are two states in which female genital cutting (FGC) is illegal under state law, for now. In both states, amendments have been proposed in the state legislature that would alter existing policy against FGC to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Gender-affirming care includes social, psychological, behavioral, and medical practices […]
Troubling Idaho House Bill 71 moves on to Senate
In 2019, the Idaho Legislature established a law protecting girls from female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), recognizing it as a violation of human rights. Yet, for the past two years, the same Idaho Legislature has targeted Trans youth, another vulnerable community, by attempting to amend the existing FGM/C law. This amendment would prohibit gender-affirming healthcare from […]
Gender-Affirming Treatments are not Female Genital Cutting
By Hunter Kessous Female genital cutting (FGC), which is the practice of removing or harming the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, is a human rights violation recognized by the UN. Right now, legislators in Texas and Idaho are looking to use pre-existing bans on FGC to block transgender youth from receiving life-saving, medically necessary gender-affirming […]