Montgomery, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined attorneys general from 19 other states in sending a letter to the American Medical Association (AMA) regarding the organization’s stance on gender-related medical treatments for minors.
The letter commends the AMA for recently expressing opposition to surgical sex-change procedures for children, while also urging the organization to reconsider its endorsement of hormonal treatments such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors.
According to the letter, the coalition of attorneys general agrees with the AMA’s conclusion that current research does not sufficiently support surgical procedures for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. However, the group argues that the evidence supporting hormonal interventions is similarly limited and warrants further scrutiny.
“The American Medical Association has finally admitted what many have warned for years: its recommendations for surgeries on children were not grounded in solid evidence, despite telling doctors and families otherwise,” Marshall said in a statement. “Yet the same weak science underpins puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. You cannot dismiss one intervention as unsupported while continuing to push the rest. When children’s lives and futures are at stake, anything less than full scientific honesty is reckless. The AMA must follow the science completely, not selectively.”
In the letter, the attorneys general state that providing medical guidance without sufficient scientific evidence could potentially raise consumer protection concerns. The document references Alabama law, which prohibits organizations from representing that goods or services have benefits or qualities they do not possess, or from misrepresenting the standard, quality, or grade of services offered.
The coalition also cited provisions that prohibit false, misleading, or deceptive practices in trade or commerce. Based on those concerns, the attorneys general requested that the AMA provide additional information explaining the scientific basis behind its recommendations supporting hormonal treatments for minors.
The letter further asks the AMA to respond to a series of questions regarding its evaluation of available research and its communications to healthcare providers, patients, and families about the safety and effectiveness of such treatments.
Marshall was joined in signing the letter by attorneys general from Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
The letter reflects ongoing national debate surrounding medical treatment guidelines for minors experiencing gender dysphoria, as policymakers, medical organizations, and advocacy groups continue to discuss appropriate standards of care.
