Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to End Long-term Transgender Treatment Programs
Amid rising pressure from the Trump administration, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) plans to halt its long-term transgender treatment initiatives for children and adolescents beginning this summer.
The Transyouth Health and Development Center informed nearly 3,000 patients on Thursday that it would officially close on July 22, stating that there was no feasible option to maintain specialized care in light of the current regulations. An email sent from hospital executives acknowledged, “This is undoubtedly a painful and significant change for our organization and poses a challenge to CHLA’s mission, vision, and values.”
The decision to discontinue these programs, according to the email, followed a comprehensive evaluation of the increasing impact of federal policies and proposed measures, which have forced hospitals to stop admitting new patients as early as this winter.
Hospitals Nationwide React to Trump’s Executive Order on Transgender Treatment
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting federal support for “chemical and surgical” procedures related to gender transition in minors. He stated, “Across the nation today, health professionals are harming and sterilizing more children under the extreme and misguided belief that adults can change a child’s sex through irreversible medical interventions.” The executive order, titled “Protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation,” condemned this approach as dangerous.
This prompted some families and patients to express their frustration with the closure of the program at CHLA. One mother, Maxine, whose child is currently in the program, reflected on the emotional challenge: “We’re just disappointed, scared, and furious. The hardest part is figuring out how to share this news with a child who has benefited so much from the care here.”
Protecting Children: Hospital’s Response to Controversial Policies
Hospital officials indicated that agencies such as the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services have warned healthcare providers of serious repercussions due to the administration’s restrictions on child transition services. There’s a palpable concern about swift action following recent solicitations for information from the FBI targeting hospitals and medical providers.
“We feel like we’re slowly being pushed underground,” Maxine stated. “You must prepare for the worst while trying to hold onto hope. We’re aligning with other parents, attempting to find a way forward while knowing our allies.”
The closure of CHLA’s Transyouth Center, which offers a range of services from adolescent blockers to hormone treatments and surgeries, is notable given its status as one of the largest programs of its kind in the U.S. Activists are worried that this move could set a concerning precedent for other hospitals serving transgender youth.
