Many New Yorkers are concerned about the possible impact of the Trump administration’s executive orders that attempt to strip medical care and protections from transgender people.
Most orders target young people, including an order that barred education about transgender and non-binary people in K-12 schools, one that banned schools from allowing students to use their preferred name and pronouns, and another that barred people under the age of 19 from receiving gender-affirming care at hospitals that receive any federal funds.
President Trump has said these orders protect young people from “chemical and surgical mutilation.” But gender-affirming treatments for people under 18 are already rare, according to the UCLA Williams Institute. Especially surgery.
For non-binary Buffalo native Kaiva Yanoski, hormone therapy has led to massive mental health improvements.
“Since starting testosterone, there's been such a drastic change with my self-image. It's improved so much,” Yanoski said. “And I didn't realize just how validating gender-affirming care can be until I started taking it.”
One transgender Syracuse resident feared the impact of the order could be devastating.
“I worry that people are going to lose hope and just be like, 'I guess I'm going to have to hide who I am for the rest of my life,'" said Jax Wilson, a trans man and lifelong Syracuse resident.
The majority of the medical community supports youth access to gender-affirming care, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Social scientists and medical professionals agree that sex and gender are more complex than defined in Trump’s executive order, according to the Williams Institute. Wilson said you can’t disagree with science.
“I find it extremely hard to believe that, and this is the nicest way I can put it, that politicians can be this dense… It's just hard for me to believe the lack of education and the amount of misinformation that spreads so quickly,” Wilson said.
New York Civil Liberties Union trans health policy counsel, Allie Bohm, suspected that Trump is attempting to control medical professionals, and won’t stop at the nearly 35 thousand transgender New Yorkers.
“What are they going to say next? Will you be able to provide evidence-based best practices mental health care? What about reproductive health care? What about diabetes treatment?” Bohm concluded.
Although most of Trump’s administrative orders were blocked by federal judges and there are state protections, many people are worried they may not hold.
“Even though New York state's government does protect gender-affirming care as of right now, there has still been so much done on a federal level within the span of two months that has been so alarming,” Yanoski said. “And I can only hope that New York state continues to protect those laws.”
Executive orders typically require actions from agencies and legislators to go into effect. It’s why New York AG Letitia James was able to direct state hospitals not to comply with Trump’s orders. Bohm asserted that state and local governments can do the same.
“Our counties can absolutely invest county funding in supporting access to care. Our counties can also use their bully pulpits just the same way our state lawmakers do to make clear what the rights and obligations are,” said Bohm.
According to Bohm, county officials can ensure education in their district is inclusive and protect access to gender-affirming care at local hospitals.
The NYCLU has advocated for policies that would ensure access to care if Trump’s effort to unblock the orders ever succeeds. Like hospital transparency, which would help patients identify which hospitals provide the care they need, and assist the state with identifying care deserts.