Ohio and Michigan Republicans, as revealed in released audio, discuss their ‘endgame’ objective, which is to prohibit transgender care ‘for everyone.

This blog originally appeared at Advocate.

Audio from a Twitter Space, initially intended for a small audience, featured Republican legislators from Ohio and Michigan.

The recording was inadvertently made public, capturing discussions where legislators revealed the ultimate goal of their anti-trans legislation – to ban transgender care “for everyone.” The Space, which had measures to remove uninvited participants, hosted several Michigan senators and representatives, along with Ohio Representative Gary Click, who sponsored the contentious gender-affirming care ban in the state. Throughout the conversation, the legislators openly discussed their plans and strategies for targeting transgender care. Towards the conclusion of the Space, the dialogue shifted to a plan for the “endgame,” involving discussions among Republican legislators and anti-trans activist Prisha Mosley about various strategies aimed at “banning this for everyone,” specifically referring to gender-affirming care.

Representative Brad Paquette of Michigan hosted the Space, providing a platform for an unstructured conversation about potential developments in Michigan and the ongoing strategy for anti-trans legislation in Ohio. Notable participants included Representative Gary Click, along with Michigan Representatives Josh Schriver and Tom Kunse, as well as Senators Lana Theis and Jonathan Lindsey.

Although the initial part of the Space predominantly addressed transgender care for youth, around the 49-minute mark, the conversation shifted to focus on transgender adults. Representative Shriver posed a question, stating, “In terms of endgame, why are we allowing these practices for anyone? If we are going to stop this for anyone under 18, why not apply it for anyone over 18? It’s harmful across the board, and that’s something we need to take into consideration in terms of the endgame.”

Representative Click subsequently replied, “That’s a very astute observation. I think legislatively, we have to take incremental steps.”

He then shifted to Governor DeWine’s efforts to address transgender adult care clinics, remarking, “The other thing is Planned Parenthoods; they pass out hormones like candy, he’s put a stop to that. That’s one of the places a lot of adults go. There’s also Euphoria and Plume.”

Governor DeWine’s regulations extend beyond typical transgender bans in the United States and have the potential to lead to the widespread closure of gender-affirming care clinics for transgender adults. Similar regulations were implemented in Florida, resulting in the elimination of 80% of all transgender care through burdensome requirements imposed on clinics, including the mandate for in-person care and restrictions on nurse practitioners providing it. In Missouri, there were attempts to impose targeted restrictions on gender-affirming care providers, leading to the closure of many clinics. Notably, the regulations concerning transgender adults in Missouri were halted by a court ruling.

Following this discussion, Representative Shriver persisted in asserting that adults consenting to gender-affirming care should be prohibited. He went to the extent of drawing comparisons to consent for “self-mutilation” and “euthanasia.” He reiterated, stating, “we have to be looking at the endgame simultaneously, maybe even using that to move the window to say that this isn’t just wrong 0-18, it’s wrong for everyone and we shouldn’t be allowing that to happen.”

Representative Click affirmed the strategy, stating, “We have to take one step at a time, do it incrementally.”

The dialogue extended further as Prisha Mosley, an anti-trans detransitioner and right-wing political figure, commended the discussion, expressing, “I did want to say that I’ve kind of been waiting for a state or a representative or anyone to be brave enough to address that… you cannot consent to a lie. Most of these doctors are straight up lying about the effects and saying it’ll magically cure every bad feeling you’ve ever had and that you can magically change sex.”

Towards the conclusion of the conversation, Representative Shriver suggests they should “prohibit this for all individuals,” prompting Representative Paquette to reply, “We’ll chat offline about all this good stuff.”

More and more, anti-trans groups and politicians are directing their efforts towards transgender adults. In a recent critique of the World Health Organization panel on trans care, the anti-trans group Society for Evidence in Gender Medicine (SEGM) did not advocate for access to trans care for those aged 18-25. Leor Sapir, affiliated with the Manhattan Institute, a right-wing think tank, argued that permitting “adults to do what they want” regarding gender-affirming care no longer aligns with “the libertarian position.” Additionally, bills and laws targeting transgender adults are becoming increasingly prevalent, including bathroom bans in Utah and Florida, medical care restrictions for incarcerated trans adults, and numerous bills aiming to ban gender-affirming care for various age groups, including adults.

Never before have elected representatives explicitly outlined the strategy of banning care for transgender adults as clearly as in these recordings. Representative Gary Click is affiliated with the Heritage Foundation and the Center for Christian Virtue, both well-known for their involvement in the formulation and drafting of anti-trans legislation. These newly revealed recordings offer a significant glimpse into the endgame of anti-trans legislation: the complete exclusion of transgender people from public life by prohibiting care at any age.