Pledge to Protect Transgender Constituents from Federal Attacks

I am writing to urge you to pledge your full support for protecting transgender people in our state from the hostile federal attacks currently targeting their healthcare and civil rights. The Trump Administration's proposed rule eliminating all Medicaid funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to transgender youth under 18 represents a discriminatory policy that would leave these treatments accessible only to affluent families who can afford private clinics. This two-tiered system violates basic principles of equal protection and would deny lifesaving healthcare to vulnerable young people based solely on their family's economic status. New York Attorney General Letitia James has demonstrated the kind of leadership states need right now. On December 18, she publicly reassured trans youth and their families that their healthcare remains legal and protected in New York. Earlier this year, when New York City hospitals stopped care due to federal threats, she sent letters reminding providers of their obligations under state anti-discrimination laws, stating that refusing services to transgender individuals while offering them to cisgender individuals constitutes discrimination. Following her intervention, community pressure, and talks with lawmakers, at least one hospital reversed its decision to pause youth gender care. The ACLU is already suing over these proposals, with Chase Strangio calling them "cruel and unconstitutional attacks" that weaponize the federal government to target vulnerable populations for political gain. Our state must stand firm alongside these legal challenges. I am asking you to publicly pledge your commitment to protecting transgender constituents from federal overreach. This includes supporting legal efforts to challenge discriminatory federal policies, ensuring state anti-discrimination laws are vigorously enforced, and investigating any hospitals that overcomply with federal pressure by denying care to trans patients. These young people and their families need to know their elected representatives will defend their rights and access to healthcare.