Statement: Los Angeles LGBT Center Responds to CHLA’s Decision to Halt New Gender-Affirming Care Patients: Don’t Be Complicit in Trump’s Unlawful Hate-Mongering
LOS ANGELES, CA, February 5, 2025– In response to Children’s Hospital LA’s recent decision to stop accepting new patients for gender-affirming care for ages under 19, Los Angeles LGBT Center CEO Joe Hollendoner issued the following statement:
“The Trump administration’s relentless, calculated assault on transgender rights is nothing short of an all-out war on the dignity, safety, and existence of our TGNBI+ community. From gutting protections to waging legal battles aimed at dismantling access to gender-affirming care, these efforts are not just cruel—they are designed to strip trans people, especially trans youth, of their fundamental rights and humanity. We refuse to stand by and watch while this administration weaponizes policy and fear to try to erase an entire community.
The healthcare providers, clinics, and organizations that make gender-affirming care possible in Los Angeles and across California are a lifeline. These services are not up for debate. They are not political bargaining chips. They are lifesaving, evidence-based, and essential. Any retreat—by any provider—sets a dangerous precedent, creating confusion and fear for families seeking this critical care.
California law and Attorney General Bonta’s guidance are clear: Gender-affirming care is legal, protected, and a fundamental right. Any institution that bows to Trump’s baseless executive orders legitimizes these attacks and fuels further discrimination. Current litigation by the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and PFLAG will reaffirm what we already know—Trump has no authority to block children from receiving the care their doctors and guardians deem necessary.
We will not allow bigotry, misinformation, or political fear-mongering to dictate who gets to access care. There is no backing down as the Center is firm in its commitment to protecting access to gender-affirming care—because every trans person deserves to live safely, authentically, and with dignity.
This is a call to immediate action. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles must reverse this decision and hold the line that young people deserve and are entitled to medically necessary care.
Our community must come together, stand with our providers, and defend the trans individuals whose lives and autonomy are under attack. California has long been a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ rights, and we refuse to let it become a battleground for hate. Instead, we must be a sanctuary—where every person has access to the care they deserve. The fight is here. The time is now. Let’s stand united.”
###
About the Los Angeles LGBT Center
Since 1969 the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond. Today the Center’s nearly 800 employees provide services for more LGBT people than any other organization in the world, offering programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services and Housing, Culture and Education, Leadership and Advocacy. We are an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to build a better world; a world in which LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org