California Moves to Protect Transgender Laws After Trump's Orders
Donald Trump's anti-transgender executive orders.Since beginning his second term, Trump has taken steps to unravel protections for transgender people, signing an executive order on his first day in office declaring that there are "only two genders, male and female."In another executive order, Trump said the United States would no longer "fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another" and would seek to cut off funding to Medicare, Medicaid and hospitals that provided or promoted such care.
He has also barred transgender people from serving in the armed forces and transgender student-athletes from playing on teams corresponding with their gender identity.The orders from Trump have created a dilemma for states with a progressive agenda, like California, that have legislated to protect transgender identity.
California is now making efforts to "Trump-proof" its laws.On Wednesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office sent a letter to Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) warning it could be violating state law after the institution said it was pausing the initiation of hormonal therapy for "gender-affirming care patients" under the age of 19 and had suspended gender-affirming surgeries for minors.
The hospital clarified that it was not halting hormonal therapy or puberty blockers for cisgender children who might get them for other medical purposes.That came in response to an executive order signed by Trump aiming to stop the use of puberty blockers, hormones and other gender-affirming care for people under 19.
