Backers of bills to restrict gender-affirming care often say they are saving young people from regret later in life. But experts layout why those bills may be harmful. Gender-affirming care is “not provided on a whim as it might be portrayed sometimes,” said Kasey Suffredini, vice president of advocacy and government affairs for the Trevor Project, which provides crisis and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ people under 25. Withholding care is “dangerous” in many ways, he said, pointing to higher rates of depression, anxiety and even thoughts of suicide. For young people who already feel vulnerable, even talk of harmful bills can be damaging on a physical level, Baker said, raising stress levels, taxing cardiovascular systems, producing inflammatory responses. Swipe ➡ to read from experts. Visit the link in bio for more.