In a recent fundraising letter, the political arm of the Family Research Council (FRC) calls for pushing a legislative attack against transgender youth as part of a strategy to win back Congress in 2022.

FRC President Tony Perkins is a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and the group is influential in the Republican Party.

In his letter to supporters, Perkins touted a federal bill that seeks to prohibit transgender youth from receiving transition-related medical care. The “Save Adolescents from Experimentation” (SAFE) Act is similar to state laws introduced this legislative session by Republican lawmakers.

“So our strategy is to raise up a powerful nationwide movement of Americans demanding Congress outlaw transgender procedures for minor children by passing the SAFE Act, and get every political candidate on record as either FOR or AGAINST it,” Perkins wrote. “Our goal: Make the SAFE Act THE 'wedge issue' of the 2022 midterm elections!”

While conceding that the bill has little chance of passing in the current Democrat-controlled Congress, Perkins claims that making it an issue could lead to “historic gains for pro-family conservatives, retake Congress, and block the radical Biden agenda.”

In his letter, Perkins claims that gender transition “is an experiment, not medical care” that thousands of vulnerable children “fall prey to … every year, consent to have their bodies mutilated by pseudo-scientists, and are left with no recourse when they finally come to regret being deceived and disfigured for life.”

Right Wing Watch's Peter Montgomery points out that “treatment of trans youth begins with therapy and counseling” and “children who have not yet reached puberty generally are not treated with medical interventions but may be provided with emotional support to transition socially.”

Transgender youth are at higher risk of attempting to commit suicide. According to a 2018 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than half of transgender male teens reported attempting suicide in their lifetime; the rate was nearly 30 percent among transgender female teens. A study published last year by the Trevor Project found that gender-affirming care for transgender youth reduced suicide attempts.

While FRC remains a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, it has in recent years shifted its focus to transgender issues.