Inspire Investing recently presented a shareholder proposal at American Express regarding the company’s apparent coverage of gender transition interventions for minors, including cross-sex hormones and surgical procedures.
Rather than making the case ourselves, we believed it was important for shareholders to hear directly from someone impacted. De-transitioner Soren Aldaco addressed the annual shareholder meeting through a recording played during the session.
Her story is powerful, sobering, and deserves to be heard. Her experience underscores the real-world implications of these policies, as the procedures she underwent were covered by her mother’s employer-sponsored health plan.
Please take a few minutes to watch her message to American Express shareholders (with a short intro by me) below.
Personal experiences and third-party references reflect the views of the individuals or organizations cited and may not represent the views of all investors.
This issue was covered by The Washington Times. As I told them:
"Companies best serve shareholders by staying focused on their core business and avoiding involvement in highly contested social issues that create reputational and financial risk. It’s deeply troubling that American Express appears to be paying for these irreversible interventions without clearly disclosing the scope of that coverage to investors who have a right to know. These treatments raise serious medical, legal, and fiduciary concerns, particularly given growing global scrutiny and shifting standards of care.”
Soren emphasized this point in her presentation remarks as well:
“Shareholders deserve to know whether the company has evaluated the legal, ethical, and reputational risks of maintaining that coverage as the landscape shifts.”
She also pointed to a growing shift in the medical community’s approach to these procedures, underscoring that as standards evolve, companies should ensure their policies keep pace.
How companies structure their health plans has real-world consequences. This is not theoretical. It affects real people, real families, and long-term shareholder value. Companies like Walmart, one of the largest employers in the world, have already updated their policies to exclude coverage for minors. It is time for other companies, including American Express, to follow suit.
To stay up to date on how your investing dollars can impact the lives of people like Soren, follow Tim Schwarzenberger on LinkedIn.
Tim Schwarzenberger, CFA is a Portfolio Manager and Director of Corporate Engagement for Inspire Investing. He previously served as Managing Director at Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), where he was an integral member of the Investment Team responsible for implementing the firm’s strategy development, portfolio construction, and Catholic investing initiatives.
Inspire Investing recently presented a shareholder proposal at American Express regarding the company’s apparent coverage of gender transition interventions for minors, including cross-sex hormones and surgical procedures.
Rather than making the case ourselves, we believed it was important for shareholders to hear directly from someone impacted. De-transitioner Soren Aldaco addressed the annual shareholder meeting through a recording played during the session.
Her story is powerful, sobering, and deserves to be heard. Her experience underscores the real-world implications of these policies, as the procedures she underwent were covered by her mother’s employer-sponsored health plan.
Please take a few minutes to watch her message to American Express shareholders (with a short intro by me) below.
Personal experiences and third-party references reflect the views of the individuals or organizations cited and may not represent the views of all investors.
This issue was covered by The Washington Times. As I told them:
"Companies best serve shareholders by staying focused on their core business and avoiding involvement in highly contested social issues that create reputational and financial risk. It’s deeply troubling that American Express appears to be paying for these irreversible interventions without clearly disclosing the scope of that coverage to investors who have a right to know. These treatments raise serious medical, legal, and fiduciary concerns, particularly given growing global scrutiny and shifting standards of care.”
Soren emphasized this point in her presentation remarks as well:
“Shareholders deserve to know whether the company has evaluated the legal, ethical, and reputational risks of maintaining that coverage as the landscape shifts.”
She also pointed to a growing shift in the medical community’s approach to these procedures, underscoring that as standards evolve, companies should ensure their policies keep pace.
How companies structure their health plans has real-world consequences. This is not theoretical. It affects real people, real families, and long-term shareholder value. Companies like Walmart, one of the largest employers in the world, have already updated their policies to exclude coverage for minors. It is time for other companies, including American Express, to follow suit.
To stay up to date on how your investing dollars can impact the lives of people like Soren, follow Tim Schwarzenberger on LinkedIn.
