Honoring children’s health at each stage of their lives is so important for lifetime health. Transgender youth need supportive care. Affirming care makes an immediate difference for their health and well-being. California Attorney General Rob Bonta reminded hospitals and providers of this essential fact, and of their obligations under the state’s anti-discrimination law.
“California supports the rights of transgender youth to live their lives as their authentic selves,” Bonta said in a press release. “We will not let the President turn back the clock or deter us from upholding California values.
I understand that the President’s executive order on gender affirming care has created some confusion. Let me be clear: California law has not changed, and hospitals and clinics have a legal obligation to provide equal access to healthcare services.”
This direction is critical so that health care providers understand that California will continue to push forward for affirming care for trans children and youth.
Some hospitals and clinics are cutting care for trans youth as the new presidential administration unleashes anti-trans directives. These directives strip care, ostracize youth, take away rights, and hurt the short- and long-term health of trans youth. The Children’s Partnership knows we will see more of these directives as the new administration unleashes the full effects of its anti-trans hate machine. We will also see organizations hiding behind the directives to make cuts and avoid shielding trans youth from harm.
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), a major provider of care for trans youth, recently announced that it has stopped initiating hormone therapy and performing gender-affirming surgeries for patients under age 19, while it assesses President Trump’s executive order.
Responding to CHLA’s move, Bamby Salcedo, President & CEO of The TransLatin@ Coalition, had this to say:
“During my eight years at [CHLA’s] Center for TransYouth Health and Development, I saw how institutional barriers and political considerations often took precedence over genuine care. The Division of Adolescent Medicine was consistently undervalued, and despite CHLA’s extensive fundraising, the Trans Youth Program had to secure its own funding.”
Alongside our allies, we will continue to fight for the rights of trans children and youth to get the supportive health care they need. We know that youth, their families and supportive providers will make thoughtful decisions with long-term health and well-being in mind.
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