Maine attorney general dismisses Trump effort to restrict gender-affirming care

Yahoo

06-02-2025

Feb. 5—Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and 14 other state attorneys general issued a joint statement Wednesday supporting gender-affirming care and dismissing President Donald Trump's effort to restrict access to the care.
"The Trump Administration's recent Executive Order is wrong on the science and the law," according to the statement. "Despite what the Trump Administration has suggested, there is no connection between 'female genital mutilation' and gender-affirming care, and no federal law makes gender-affirming care unlawful. President Trump cannot change that by Executive Order."
The Jan. 28 executive order says, without evidence, that "medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child's sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions."
Maine law does not permit gender reassignment surgery without parental consent for minors. Under limited circumstances, 16- and 17-year-olds can receive gender-affirming hormone therapy without the permission of their parents.
Medical experts say that even in states where it is legal to perform the surgeries, it is extremely rare and would almost always require parental consent.
Frey joined attorneys generals in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin in opposing the executive order.
The letter said that "we stand firmly in support of healthcare policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms. Gender-affirming care is essential, life-saving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves."
Trump's executive order mandates that federal agencies withhold federal money from hospitals and other health care providers that provide gender-affirming treatments, including hormone therapies and puberty blockers, to anyone under age 19.
While the attorneys general say they would challenge any attempt to cut off federal funding as threatened by Trump, some hospitals in other states have curbed access to the care. Hospitals in Colorado, Washington, D.C. and Virginia and a California health clinic have already stopped gender-affirming care, in response to the executive order.
In response, groups supporting transgender rights, including PFLAG and families represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration's executive order.
Access to care appears to be unchanged in Maine.
John Porter, spokesperson for MaineHealth, the parent organization of MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland and seven other hospitals in Maine, said in a statement that "MaineHealth has made no change to its service offerings following the President's executive order regarding transgender health care, as it continues to evaluate the scope and meaning of all the executive actions undertaken by the new administration. MaineHealth remains committed to providing the highest quality of care to all who need it."
And Karen Sanborn, spokesperson for Northern Light Health, the parent organization of Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and Mercy Hospital in Portland, said in a written statement that the health care network has made "no changes to services offered in response to the President's Executive Order regarding healthcare for transgender patients under 19 years of age. "
Sanborn said that Northern Light will "monitor all executive and legal actions which may have an impact on services."
MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta has indicated that the executive order did not result in any changes to their services.
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England also is not changing its services, and "is proud to provide gender-affirming care," said Lisa Margulies, vice president of Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, in a written statement.
"We look forward to working with leaders in our state who seek to protect the rights and freedoms of all Mainers, no matter what," Margulies said.
The attorneys general letter also pointed out that a court order last week directed the federal government to resume funding that had been temporarily frozen by the Trump administration.
"This means that federal funding to institutions that provide gender-affirming care continues to be available, irrespective of President Trump's recent Executive Order. If the federal administration takes additional action to impede this critical funding, we will not hesitate to take further legal action," the letter said.
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