Bans on Evidence-Based Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse People Present Risks for Clients and Dilemmas for Mental Health Providers.

• New threats emerging with antitransgender and gender diverse legislation in many U.S. states. • Brief review of the sociopolitical climate, impact of the climate on TGD people, and challenges faced by mental health providers serving TGD clients. • Recommendations for supporting TGD clients in the current sociopolitical context and a call for advocacy. Despite efforts to improve the sociopolitical landscape for sexual and gender minorities, including legislation to ban sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts (SOGICE), new threats have arisen with a sharp increase in state legislatures enacting anti-TGD (transgender and gender diverse) legislation. Some of these laws and the accompanying hostile climate may prevent mental health providers from providing the best evidence-based care for their TGD clients. This paper briefly reviews the current sociopolitical climate, the impact of the climate on TGD people, and challenges faced by mental health providers serving TGD clients. We conclude with recommendations for supporting TGD clients in the current sociopolitical context and a call for advocacy to continue efforts to ban SOGICE and protect access to social, legal, and medical gender affirmation for youth and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]