Trump pressures Michigan Medicine to stop gender-affirming care for trans youth
Michigan Medicine Halts Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Amid Federal Pressure
Under pressure from the federal government, Michigan Medicine, the medical center of the University of Michigan, has decided to stop offering gender-affirming care — including hormone therapy and puberty blockers — to patients under 19 years old. This decision was announced by a spokeswoman on August 25, following a statement that revealed the institution had received a federal subpoena as part of an ongoing criminal and civil investigation into such treatments for minors.
The university stated that the move is in response to the investigation and rising external threats and risks. “In light of that investigation, and given escalating external threats and risks, we will no longer provide gender-affirming hormonal therapies and puberty blocker medications for minors,” the statement said.
This decision has left many parents of transgender children and their advocates deeply concerned. One mother, whose 14-year-old daughter is receiving estrogen and puberty blockers, expressed her devastation. She said she does not want her daughter’s treatment to stop, fearing it could have a devastating impact on her life. The mother, who asked to remain anonymous due to fears of being targeted, described her daughter as a happy child who has thrived with the care provided by Michigan Medicine.
“I don’t want her medical therapy to lapse. I think it would destroy her life,” she said, adding that she plans to keep the news from her daughter for now. “I feel like the last thing she needs to worry about is that she won’t be able to get her medicine.”
She also mentioned the possibility of moving out of the country to find alternative care for her daughter, emphasizing that it is unacceptable for her child to lack access to the care she needs to live authentically.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
The decision to halt gender-affirming care could lead to legal complications for Michigan Medicine. Jay Kaplan, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan's LGBTQ Project, warned that the hospital may face potential malpractice issues if it does not provide a way for patients to continue their care elsewhere.
Kaplan also pointed out that if the hospital provides hormone therapy to cisgender minors — those who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth — but not to transgender minors, it could potentially violate civil rights laws. Cisgender minors sometimes receive puberty blockers when they begin puberty too early.
In a letter sent to patients and families, Michigan Medicine stated that it will continue to care for gender-diverse patients, offering other forms of support such as social work consultations, community resource connections, and assistance with transferring care to outside providers if desired.
Advocacy Groups Speak Out
Advocacy organizations have criticized the decision, suggesting that it is primarily driven by pressure from the Trump administration. Erin Knott, executive director of Equality Michigan, said the move appears to be a result of the administration’s efforts to target trans families and healthcare providers.
Roz Keith, founder of Stand With Trans, a group supporting transgender youth in metro Detroit, is compiling a list of private practice physicians who will treat minor patients. She emphasized that gender-affirming care is legal in Michigan and that the issue lies with federally funded institutions facing threats from the government.
The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics both support gender-affirming care for young people. Earlier this year, Corewell Health temporarily paused gender-affirming care for new minor patients after an executive order threatened to cut federal funding for hospitals providing such treatments. However, Corewell later reversed its decision.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel warned that denying such care could violate state anti-discrimination laws. She has joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict access to gender-affirming care for minors.
Impact on Transgender Youth
Although the number of transgender minors in the U.S. is relatively small, the effects of denying them access to care can be significant. A 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that young people who received gender-affirming therapies were 60% less likely to experience depression and 73% less likely to have suicidal thoughts or behaviors than those who did not receive such care.
For the mother of the 14-year-old girl, the decision to stop treatment is not just a medical issue but a personal one. “It’s not an option of 'can my kid be cis gender and live this life versus can my kid be transgender,'” she said. “It’s not a question. There’s not a question for us. My daughter … she's always been a girl.”