(The Center Square) — New York Attorney General Letitia James is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s attempt to stop ‘gender-affirming’ procedures for teenagers, warning hospitals that withholding services from transgender patients could run afoul of state law.
In a letter, James told hospital executives that despite Trump’s directive ordering them to stop offering gender care to patients under 19 years old, they are obligated to comply with New York State laws, “including those that prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their membership in a protected class, such as sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation … or immigration status.”
“Electing to refuse services to a class of individuals based on their protected status, such as withholding the availability of services from transgender individuals based on their gender identity or their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, while offering such services to cisgender individuals, is discrimination under New York law,” James wrote.
Trump signed an executive order last week directing federal agencies to ensure that health care institutions receiving federal research or education grants stop offering gender-affirming care to patients under 19. The restrictions include puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgical procedures.
“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures,” the order reads.
The Trump administration has said coverage for pediatric gender-affirming care will also be excluded from Medicaid and Medicare, as well as benefits packages for federal and U.S. Postal Service employees.
In response, several hospitals announced that they have stopped providing gender-affirming care procedures for those under 19 while they assess the implications of Trump’s order.
That includes one of New York City’s largest hospital systems, NYU Langone, which has started canceling appointments for transgender children in response to the order, according to published reports.
In the letter, James also advised that a temporary restraining order issued by a federal judge Friday blocks federal agencies from taking steps to terminate existing funding without legislative action.
That ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by James and 22 other attorneys general seeking to block a now-rescinded Trump administration memo that threatened federal funding for various programs and services.
“Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York state laws,” she wrote.
