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The country’s largest medical organization Wednesday told Defense Secretary James Mattis that it believes his recommendations on excluding most transgender people from military service “mischaracterized and rejected” evidence on treatment for gender dysphoria. “We believe there is no medically valid reason — including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria — to exclude transgender individuals from military service,” American Medical Association (AMA) CEO James Madara wrote in a letter to Mattis. “Transgender individuals have served, and continue to serve, our country with honor, and we believe they should be allowed to continue doing so.” (Kheel, 4/4)

The letter from CEO James Madara, first obtained by POLITICO, also slams the suggestion that the cost of providing medical care to transgender troops should be a reason to keep them out of the military. “The financial cost is negligible and a rounding error in the defense budget,” Madara writes. “It should not be used as a reason to deny patriotic Americans an opportunity to serve their country. We should be honoring their service.” (Klimas, 4/4)