What Will Trump’s Order Banning Care for Transgender Kids Mean?
The Trump administration is seeking to end access to gender transition treatments for youth under age 19.
Transgender pride flags line the sidewalk in Washington, D.C. Ted Eytan (CC BY-SA)
Carri, a parent from the Fox Valley region, said her son came out as transgender at age 15.
Looking back, Carri — who asked WPR not to use her last name out of concern for her family’s safety — remembers the impact that hormone replacement therapy had on her son, who is now a young adult.
“Before that point, there was a lot of of emotional turmoil that he was living with, a lot of depression, a lot of anxiety,” she said. “Those hormones really helped match his brain with his body which, to me, that’s just the basic level of care we can provide individuals that identify as trans.”
She worries a new executive order from President Donald Trump will leave transgender kids and teens without access to this kind of gender-affirming care.
Trump signed the executive order Tuesday seeking to end access to treatments including puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries for people under the age of 19.
The order aims to stop medical providers from offering this type of care by restricting access to participation in Medicaid and Medicare, as well as federal research and education grants.
The president’s order claims transition treatments can cause the youth to have higher medical bills over their lifetime and can lead to regret as they age because it may affect their ability to conceive children.
It’s one of several actions the Trump administration has taken related to the transgender community since taking office last week. The president also signed an executive order this week banning transgender troops from serving openly in the military. On his first day in office, Trump directed the federal government to only recognize two sexes, male and female, and states they are not changeable.
Carri said the evolving situation at the federal level has left transgender individuals and their families with uncertainty and fear.
She said many of the parents she knows are now looking at the cost of medications for their kids without insurance or considering moving to an area that may offer better access to care.
“Wisconsin went red during this election, and we have neighbors that are blue, so some parents are wondering about that,” she said. “I know some people are looking at if they need to find a sanctuary for their youth out of the country. I think there’s varying levels, but I think all of those scenarios roll around in our heads, because it comes back to safety.”
She worries disrupting access to treatment could be especially harmful for children who struggle with self-harm or suicidal ideation. She said finding health providers who understand and can effectively treat trans kids is already challenge, and she worries that targeting gender-affirming treatments will make access even more difficult.
“Trans youth, they really just want to be able to live their lives,” Carri said. “They have a right to be safe. They want to be able to have the rights of others. They want to be able to be affirmed when they’re struggling with something, and it shouldn’t be a political debate.”
WPR contacted several pediatric providers in the state to talk about how the executive order could affect patient care.
A spokesperson for UW Health said in an email they were evaluating the order to “determine potential impacts to the care we provide.” On the webpage for UW Health’s Gender Services program, a statement said providers “know that this is a hard time for many of our LBGTQ+ patients and families.” The program is described as serving both adults and children.
“While we don’t know exactly how things will unfold and what lies ahead, we are committed to showing up for our patients in all the ways that we can and continuing to provide excellent, evidence-based, patient-centered care for our transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse patients,” said the online statement.
Children’s Wisconsin and Marshfield Clinic Health System did not respond to requests for comment on the order.
Wisconsin parent worries about federal order targeting care for transgender kids was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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