LGBTQ groups lobby OC children’s hospital not to end gender-affirming care ...Middle East

Members of several Orange County LGBTQ organizations called on hospital executives of Orange County’s children’s hospital to put “patients before politics” during a demonstration Saturday, Jan. 24, over the ending of gender-affirming care for the young patients.

Organizers from Orange County Gender Affirming Professionals Net and Pride at the Pier said the rally, attended by roughly 40 people, was a direct response to what they describe as a “coordinated pressure campaign” by the Trump administration. One that has prompted Rady Children’s Health in Orange County, formerly Children’s Hospital of Orange County, to stop gender-affirming care.

President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed cutting federal funding to more than 4,500 hospitals that continue providing gender-related medical care to transgender youth, as part of a broader shift in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services policy. The Department of Justice also announced in June it had issued more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in performing gender-affirming care for children, as part of investigations that include healthcare fraud and false statements.

Calling it a difficult decision, the administrators of the children’s hospital said they are ending the services to protect the ability to care for “children and families across the communities we serve. “

“The environment around gender-affirming care has changed dramatically, with escalating federal actions. As part of this escalation, we were recently referred to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for investigation,” Rady Children’s said in a statement. “Taken together, these developments affect our role and responsibilities as a provider participating in federal programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, which are essential to caring for all children and families in our communities.

For these reasons, we will no longer be providing gender-affirming medical interventions, procedures and prescriptions.”

The decision continues a trend of families having fewer options, OCGAPNet organizer Brit Cervantes said.

“There’s really nowhere else for patients to go. The closure of CHOC’s program is not the first — it’s the next in a long line of children’s hospitals that have stopped providing care,” Cervantes said. “With this program closing and choosing not to provide care to trans kids, there’s really not a place that patients or families can go.”

“As a result, many people are having to travel out of the country or out of state, and some people, because they’re afraid for their lives, are also leaving the country entirely,” Cervantes added.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argues minors are too young for gender-affirming care and supports restricting the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical interventions for transgender children. His office issued a declaration in December calling the treatments unsafe and ineffective.

“We’ve been coming here for five years. They can still see you, but they can’t prescribe the medication that’s needed, so what’s the point?” said two parents who said their daughter is a patient at Rady Children’s.

The parents, who work in health care, asked to remain anonymous out of safety concerns. They seemed at a loss for how to move forward.

California has joined 18 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit over the Health and Human Services Department declaration, arguing it runs counter to medical standards. Major medical groups and those who treat transgender young people have sharply criticized the administration’s efforts.

Rady Children’s is not alone in deciding to retrench gender-affirming care in the face of heavy federal pressure. Media reports indicate that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles pulled back in mid-2025. Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., announced a similar action in July 2025 with Children’s Hospital Colorado reported to have suspended its program in early January.

The hospital will continue to provide services such as counseling, mental health resources, and care coordination, officials said, and is connecting families to resources.

“Our care teams are communicating with affected patients and families to discuss next steps,” the hospital’s statement said. “We respect the dignity of all patients, including LGBTQ+ patients and transgender youth, and remain committed to providing compassionate, respectful care.”

Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and CHOC merged last year. The hospital chain is pulling back on care is San Diego as well.

Staff Writer Paul Sisson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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