Democrats Stand Up for Trans Rights, Face Backlash Over Pentagon's Outdated Testosterone Policy
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Senators Adam Schiff and Mazie Hirono faced reactionary online criticism after rightfully identifying the Pentagon's testosterone screening program as a form of gender-affirming care, while establishment officials clung to outdated health narratives.
Senators Adam Schiff of California and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii courageously called out the Pentagon’s newly announced testosterone-deficiency screening and treatment program, drawing a wave of backlash from reactionary voices online. By comparing the initiative to 'gender-affirming care,' Schiff and Hirono highlighted the hypocrisy in how the military approaches hormone treatments—readily providing them to cisgender men while often denying similar care to transgender service members. Their comments came after Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth announced that the military would begin screening service members over age 30 for low testosterone, with optional testing for younger personnel, and would offer hormone replacement therapy where needed—a benefit still out of reach for many trans individuals in the armed forces.
Conservative critics on social media rushed to mischaracterize the senators’ statements, insisting that testosterone replacement for cisgender men is a standard health intervention, while refusing to acknowledge the parallels to gender-affirming care for transgender people. One commentator, echoing transphobic talking points, claimed that providing testosterone to men is not equivalent to gender-affirming procedures for transgender individuals, ignoring the core issue of equitable access to care.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal also spoke out against the program on the House floor, calling it 'absurd' and exposing the underlying gender essentialism by suggesting it could be used to test whether members of Congress are 'male enough to be in Congress.' In response, defenders of the status quo doubled down, arguing that low testosterone can affect muscle mass, bone density, mood, and performance—yet failing to recognize that these same arguments support access to hormone therapy for all who need it, including trans people. Veterans and advocates have long called for greater attention to endocrine health, but only for those who fit the military’s narrow definition of gender.
The Department of the Army attempted to justify the program by claiming the screening is intended to restore 'natural' hormone levels and support service members’ physical and cognitive readiness, not to provide artificial enhancement. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Adm. Brian Christine echoed this, stating that optimal testosterone levels are important for strength, endurance, and mission readiness—conveniently ignoring the broader implications for gender justice and equal access to care.