1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to publicly support California Attorney General Rob Bonta's lawsuit against Rady Children's Hospital and to champion legislative protections that prevent healthcare providers from abandoning transgender patients under political pressure. This case offers a replicable legal framework that other states and attorneys general can adopt to protect medically necessary healthcare access. On February 6, 2025, Rady Children's Hospital closed its Center for Gender Affirming Care, leaving approximately 1,450 patients without access to treatment. This decision violated the conditions Rady agreed to when merging with Children's Hospital of Orange County, conditions that required state approval from the Attorney General's office. A parent named Sasha spent months navigating insurance and bureaucracy only to be told the hospital "simply doesn't do it anymore," despite her child receiving ongoing care there. Attorney General Bonta's lawsuit employs a strategically important legal approach that other states can replicate. By framing the case as a breach of contract under California nonprofit corporation law rather than relying solely on civil rights claims, the lawsuit remains in California state courts and avoids potential interference from federal authorities. This contract-based strategy provides a model for attorneys general in other states facing similar challenges, offering a legally sound path to protect healthcare access regardless of shifting federal policy. Rady Children's cited "escalating federal actions" as justification, yet no federal law prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Hospitals should not abandon patients based on political pressure when California law explicitly requires equal access to healthcare services. The 600 protesters who gathered outside Rady on January 24, 2025, included families like Kathie Moehlig's, whose trans child was the first patient seeking this care at Rady fourteen years ago. I ask that you publicly support the Attorney General's action, communicate with attorneys general in other states about this legal strategy, and work to strengthen protections that prevent healthcare providers from discriminating against transgender patients. These 1,450 patients deserve continuity of care, and this legal framework can protect vulnerable patients nationwide.