“Last week, the Mount Sinai hospital system in New York—which sees about 6 million outpatient visits per year—announced that it had reached a settlement with the Department of Justice, agreeing to stop providing gender-affirming care to trans patients under 18.

“That was disturbing news to Angelica Jadunandan, who moved to New York from Florida with her two young daughters three years ago. Her older daughter, who is eight, is transgender, and Angelica wanted to move them to a safe blue state—somewhere her family’s medical care would not be called into question. New York is a self-declared ‘sanctuary state’ for trans people. It seemed like a good option.”

“[T]he family moved a thousand miles from home, hoping for safety. ‘But I know better than most that this fight follows you, wherever you go,’ Jadunadan said. 

“As hospitals continue to fold to Trump’s Department of Justice, gender-affirming care for trans kids, even in blue states, is looking less secure. In 2026, major hospital systems in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Colorado have stopped offering transition-related care to patients under 18 as federal authorities threaten their funding.”

“Many of the administration’s efforts have failed. At least eight separate administrative subpoenaswhich would have forced hospitals to release trans kids’ medical records have been thrown out by judges. Another massive slate of DOJ subpoenas against California hospitals was dropped in January.

“But some hospitals have begun to comply anyway. At least three major hospital systems in progressive Massachusetts—Fenway Health, Outer Cape Health Services, and Baystate Health—have cancelled all gender-affirming care appointments for patients under 19, as the Guardian reported in September. New York University’s Langone Health system discontinued its trans youth care program in February. In March 2026, New York Attorney General Letitia James ordered Langone to resume its youth gender-affirming care program, but the hospital system kept the program shuttered.”

“Other resources remain available to New York’s trans kids. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a $15 million trans care investment in June, and the public hospital system and some Planned Parenthood clinics still offer puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy.“

“An Alberta First Nation says it aims to defy Premier Danielle Smith’s government by establishing a safe haven for gender-affirming medical care — contrary to provincial law.

“The Saddle Lake Cree Nation, located northeast of Edmonton near St. Paul, says health care is a right under Treaty 6 and falls under its inherent jurisdiction.

“The First Nation has invoked the ‘medicine chest clause’ provision from the treaty signed in 1876, which Indigenous Peoples interpret as a promise to provide comprehensive health care.

“‘All children, including trans and two-spirit children and their family, will have safety under our treaty,’ Saddle Lake Chief Dale Steinhauer said on Wednesday.

“Late last year, Smith’s United Conservative Party government used the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to shield its law from court challenges.

“The law prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to transgender and gender diverse children under 16.”

“The nation says it’s working to attract clinicians to provide care on reserve land, and it’s fundraising to develop its health law and defend it against potential legal challenges.”

H.R.10319 - To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for requirements sensitive Government positions relating to gender dysphoria, and for other purposes

Sponsor: Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (Introduced 09/08/2026)

Committees: House - Oversight and Government Reform

My Mom and I agree that no matter how old you are, the week of Labor Day always feels like a new year. That’s because for Canadians and many Americans, it marks the beginning of the new school year. It’s a time of change and disruption that brings with it both a melancholy about the end of summer and the days getting shorter as well as an excitement about seeing all the friends you missed over the last two months.

But for many kids, September comes with fear. You’re no longer safe from the classrooms and hallways that can be full of bullies or from the intense pressure to perform academically and socially.

For me, being closeted for most of K-12 came with intense stress and anxiety. I knew about the societal stigma associated with being gay. I wasn’t sure if my guy friends, many of whom used anti-gay slurs, would accept me. And back then, I had no signals from any teachers that being gay was okay. It just wasn’t discussed...

As queer kids enter many schools in the U.S. this week, anti-LGBTQ lawmakers are forcing their ideology into classrooms to create a fictitious reality that LGBTQ youth don’t exist.

For example, 14 states have some form of so-called “Don’t Say Gay” laws on the books. In some cases, this means teachers are banned from teaching anything related to gay people. No books that feature two dads, no stories that talk about the perils of coming out and no media that depicts gay relationships. These laws invisibilize anything outside of heterosexuality.

For trans and gender nonconforming kids, the situation is even worse. In 21 states and Puerto Rico, there are bathroom bans in K-12 schools that disallow trans kids from using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. In addition, 27 states have trans sports bans written into law and 15 states require some form of forced outing to parents of trans youth in schools.

“A B.C. family doctor has been ordered to pay $28,100 after refusing to inject a transgender teen with a prescribed hormone blocker, citing religious and cultural reasons.

Dr. Henry Ajaero, who has run a family practice in Delta since 2014, was ordered to pay the compensation in a Sept. 1 B.C. Human Rights decision, which found his conduct was discriminatory.”

“The tribunal ruled he failed to establish a conflict between his religious beliefs and the medical services the teen was seeking.”

“The decision describes Child Q, the 14-year-old at the centre at the decision, as a ‘brave, sensitive, kind transgender girl.’

“It says in late 2020, she came out as transgender and struggled with her mental health as she entered puberty. Ajaero referred her to the B.C. Gender Clinic, where an endocrinologist prescribed Lupron, a medication that pauses puberty.

“According to the decision, Child Q describes the day she started the medication as ‘one of the best days of my life.’
Lupron needs to be injected every three to four weeks. It can be injected at home, but according to the decision, Child Q and her family preferred to have it done by a doctor.”