2 hours ago
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New York Attorney General Letitia James (left), and US President Donald Trump
New York attorney general
Letitia James informed
hospitals
on Monday that they would be violating state law if they stopped offering
gender-affirming care
to individuals under 19. Her statement was in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at restricting federal funding for such treatments.
In a letter to healthcare facilities, James, a Democrat, said that refusing to provide these treatments would go against New York's state
anti-discrimination laws
.
"Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with
New York State laws
," the letter said.
Last week, US President Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to ensure that hospitals receiving federal research and education grants "end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children." The wording in the order, including terms like "maiming," "sterilizing," and "mutilation," differs from the common language used to describe gender-affirming care in the US.
Following the order, some hospitals in Colorado, Virginia, and Washington, DC, announced they were pausing gender-affirming treatments for minors while reviewing the executive order. The White House issued a statement on Monday saying the order was "already having its intended effect."
Gender-affirming medical care for
transgender youth
is not widespread, but it has been a topic of political debate. A recent study found that fewer than 1 in 1,000 adolescents in the US with commercial insurance received puberty blockers or hormones over a five-year period.
