Trans Health Care Under Trump

February 5, 2025

Back during his campaign, President Trump was unequivocal: “I will sign a new executive order instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age.” On top of that horrifying statement, he promised to ban gender-affirming care for youth nationwide. Now, Trump is back in office, and needless to say, supporters of human rights are deeply worried.

Will President Trump’s intended attacks on trans health care happen exactly how he promised? Not necessarily. But as Garnet Henderson explains, the situation is still likely to be dire, even if it’s a bit uncertain how it will unfold.

How might trans health care evolve (well, devolve) under Trump? Just a few days in, we already have horrific news: the January 28, 2025, Executive Order related to gender affirming care. The Executive Order looks to stop federal programs from funding, sponsoring, promoting, assisting or supporting gender affirming care for individuals under 19 years of age. If federal funding for such care is withdrawn, state funds would likely follow. (And some private hospitals are already “over-complying” by stopping care.) This is in line with what Project 2025’s plan to end gender-affirming care involves – transforming Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which currently has anti-discrimination protections for patients based on gender identity. Testosterone may be reclassified as a controlled substance.

There’s a lot of unknowns, but the reality is quite clear – trans people, particularly trans youth, are facing an unprecedented, large-scale attack on their human rights. We at the Woodhull Freedom Foundation firmly oppose draconian efforts to curtail bodily autonomy. We unequivocally support everyone’s fundamental rights to access gender affirming health care.