Following the announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of new rules that would end gender-affirming care for minors, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) threatened companies that sell chest binders to help with gender dysphoria. The FDA sent letters to 12 companies that sell chest binders claiming that they are violating the law by not registering their binders as medical devices, despite the fact that it has never been necessary.This administration is trying to control every ounce of trans peoples lives and dictate who they can and cannot be, Brandon Wolf, national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, told The Advocate. As life gets harder for the American people at the hands of this cruel and incompetent administration, they are spending their time terrorizing families and harassing companies simply because their products are sometimes used by trans people. Related Trump administration is forcing hospitals to end gender-affirming care for trans minors Letters were sent to 12 sellers of chest binders: TransGuy Supply, ShapeShifter Apparel, The Fluxion, GenderBender, Marli Washington Design, Tomboy X, Flavnt Streetwear, Early to Bed, Tom Scout, For Them, Passional Boutique, and Trans-Missie.Some trans and nonbinary people wear chest binders to reduce the appearance of breast tissue. Before they became more available, it was common for people to wear multiple sports bras at once or to bind with other materials. They provide some support and can mitigate gender dysphoria for some people, but that is not their sole use. They are also used by cis people for both medical and non-medical purposes. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today In the letters sent by FDA Director Michael J. Hoffman, much is made of the claims on the sellers websites that these garments can help with gender dysphoria. In the letter to Tomboy X, Hoffman quotes the companys website: Many individuals who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender-fluid utilize chest binding as a way to help manage their own dysphoria.However, in the letter to GenderBender, they include a note from the company that binders, like many gender-affirming items, are also often used by cis people. Chest binding is the practice of compressing breast mass into a more masculine shape, often done in the LGBTQ community for gender euphoria but also practiced by cis men with gynecomastia.Binders are also used by people recovering from mastectomies, a surgery that can be conducted for many reasons.FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said during a speech that the targeting of chest binder sellers was based on their illegal marketing of breast binders for children, for the purpose of treating gender dysphoria. However, none of the letters sent mention children, and the companies that received the letters do not offer binders tailored for children or show marketing materials including children.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.