1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

The rights and well-being of transgender youth are under attack. Major Chicago hospitals like UChicago Medicine and Rush University Medical Center have ceased providing gender-affirming care to new patients under 18, leaving families scrambling. This decision stems from threats by the Trump administration to withhold federal funding from providers offering this vital care. However, a rapid response team has stepped up to connect these vulnerable young people with a network of private practitioners throughout Illinois who can continue hormones, puberty blockers, and surgeries without relying on government payments. This includes at least 30 doctors and nurse practitioners, as well as surgeons. But access remains precarious, as many families cannot afford the steep out-of-pocket costs from these independent providers. We must advocate fiercely to protect trans youth from losing this essential medical support. Their mental health and very lives are at stake, with alarmingly high rates of depression and suicide attempts among trans adolescents denied care. The state must forcefully uphold non-discrimination laws and ensure hospitals cannot abandon this vulnerable population under political pressure. We call on leaders like the governor and attorney general to robustly defend the rights of trans youth to access gender-affirming healthcare, stand united with this community, and hold institutions accountable. Inaction has made Illinois's stance as a sanctuary feel hollow. Comprehensive, affordable care for all trans people must be safeguarded as the human rights issue it is.