The Department of Justice has announced that its Office of Legislative Affairs is drafting legislation to establish a private right of action for children and parents of children whose healthy body parts have been damaged by medical professionals through chemical and surgical mutilation. This allows affected parties to hold hospitals and providers retroactively liable for such damages. The initiative is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to address what they view as the misuse of medical procedures on minors.
Amid this legal and policy shift, multiple hospitals have revised their criteria for providing gender transition treatments. For instance, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles recently announced that it would permanently close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development, attributing the decision to the ‘significant operational, legal, and financial risks’ posed by the changing policy environment. The hospital did not respond to requests for comment, but the decision underscores the growing uncertainty in the field of transgender healthcare services for minors.
Children’s Hospital Colorado initially halted its transgender medical treatments for patients under 19 following the president’s executive order, but a court ruling blocking the order led the hospital to resume offering puberty blockers and hormone-based treatments to minors. However, the hospital claims it has ‘never’ provided transgender surgeries for patients under 18 and now refers such patients to outside providers for these procedures, according to a report from Colorado Newsline.
Boston Children’s Hospital continues to operate its Gender Multispecialty Service (GeMS) program, which includes hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and social transitioning for patients under 18. While the hospital only offers gender-change surgeries for patients over 18, it does provide referrals for these procedures to minors, indicating that the program remains active in the field of transgender care for young patients.
Spokespersons for Boston Children’s Hospital have stated that the FBI has not yet issued any formal notices regarding alleged violations of federal law, and the FBI, as a matter of policy, does not comment on ongoing investigations. As the situation unfolds, the hospitals and their legal teams will likely continue to navigate the intersection of medical ethics, legal compliance, and public policy in the context of gender-affirming care for minors.