NY attorney general tells hospitals to continue transgender care after Trump executive order
Protesters rally for gender-affirming care in NYC
Protesters rallied outside NYU Langone Health in Murray Hill after reports surfaced that some hospitals are pausing gender-affirming care for young people in response to an executive order from President Trump. New York Attorney General Letitia James has warned hospitals that restricting care could violate state law. FOX 5’s Sharon Crowley reports.
NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James has warned hospitals that discontinuing gender-affirming care for minors in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order would violate state law.
The order, which aims to restrict federal funding for such treatments, has led some hospitals in other states to pause services.
What we know:
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a letter on Monday reminding hospitals that they are legally required to continue providing gender-affirming care for minors under New York’s anti-discrimination laws.
The warning comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order, which directs federal agencies to take steps to ensure hospitals receiving federal research and education grants do not offer gender-affirming treatments to minors. The executive order uses terms such as "maiming," "sterilizing," and "mutilation", language that contrasts with medical standards for gender-affirming care in the U.S.
Some hospitals in Colorado, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. have already announced pauses on gender-affirming treatments while reviewing the order. The White House released a statement on Monday saying the executive order is "already having its intended effect."
What they're saying:
- Attorney General Letitia James emphasized New York’s legal protections in her letter to hospitals:"Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York State laws."
- Greater New York Hospital Association spokesperson Brian Conway said hospitals are working through the order’s legal implications:"We are collaboratively working through every aspect of the EO to determine its legal and clinical implications. That work is ongoing."
By the numbers:
- Fewer than 1 in 1,000 adolescents in the U.S. with commercial insurance received puberty blockers or hormones during a recent five-year period, according to a new study.
- The executive order applies to hospitals receiving federal research and education grants, though its broader legal impact is still being evaluated.
The Source: Written with information from The Associated Press.