Latest news with #transgenderhealth
CNN
03-06-2025
- Health
- CNN
Judge blocks Trump from cutting off gender-affirming care for federal inmates
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to continue providing gender-affirming medication for transgender inmates in federal prisons, dealing the latest blow to a multi-pronged effort by the president to pull back federal support for transgender health care. 'All parties seem to agree that the named plaintiffs do, in fact, need hormone therapy,' US District Judge Royce Lamberth wrote. The preliminary injunction from Lamberth means that officials within the Bureau of Prisons cannot enforce guidance the agency's leadership issued earlier this year implementing President Donald Trump's order, which directed the agency to revise its policies to 'ensure that no Federal funds are expended for any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex.' Lamberth, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, said a group of transgender inmates who had been medically diagnosed with gender dysphoria and who challenged BOP's guidance implementing the president's order were likely to succeed on their claim that the agency violated federal rulemaking procedures. They will continue to receive drugs as prescribed, the judge said. 'Nothing in the thin record before the Court suggests that either the BOP or the President consciously took stock of—much less studied—the potentially debilitating effects that the new policies could have on transgender inmates before the implementing memoranda came into force,' Lamberth wrote in the 36-page ruling. 'The BOP may not arbitrarily deprive inmates of medications or other lifestyle accommodations that its own medical staff have deemed to be medically appropriate without considering he implications of that decision.' Though the case was originally brought by three transgender inmates, Lamberth agreed to certify a class that consists of all federal inmates who are currently taking hormone therapy medication to treat their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, defined as the psychological distress an individual feels when their gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. Not every transgender individual has gender dysphoria. There are currently about 1,000 people in federal custody who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Lamberth noted that the BOP was continuing to give more than 600 inmates their prescribed hormone therapy medications, despite Trump's prior order. The Justice Department had tried to explain how the BOP was acting differently than the order said they should, Lamberth noted. A federal government lawyer at a recent hearing 'argued that the BOP's policy is to provide hormone therapy to inmates as necessary to address medical needs other than 'conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex,' such as to ameliorate anxiety, depression, or suicidality associated with gender dysphoria. Therefore, they argue, the BOP has the authority to provide not just some relief, but the very relief that the plaintiffs sought in their Complaint—to wit, restoration of their hormone therapy.' The case so far has highlighted the changing reality transgender inmates in federal prisons have faced since Trump took office in January. Three different inmates — Alishea Kingdom, Solo Nichols and Jas Kapule — sued because they had been receiving hormone therapy where they were held and also had gained access to some supplies, such as underwear and cosmetics, that would enable them to accommodate their genders. Kingdom is a transgender woman and was able to access feminine underwear and commissary items in addition to her hormone therapy medication, while Nichols and Kapule were able to have men's boxers and chest binders. The BOP stopped Kingdom's hormone therapy in February, causing her anxiety, hopelessness, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts, she told the court. But once she and the others filed the lawsuit, her hormone therapy was restored, Lamberth noted. Nichols similarly had his testosterone injections reduced in February, until the BOP reversed course and restored the full dosage by the end of that month, court filings say. Kapule never lost access to hormone therapy, according to the court records. The judge in the case decided the three inmates would suffer irreparable harm if he didn't step in with this ruling, according to his opinion. CNN has reached out to BOP for comment on the ruling.
CNN
03-06-2025
- Health
- CNN
Judge blocks Trump from cutting off gender-affirming care for federal inmates
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to continue providing gender-affirming medication for transgender inmates in federal prisons, dealing the latest blow to a multi-pronged effort by the president to pull back federal support for transgender health care. 'All parties seem to agree that the named plaintiffs do, in fact, need hormone therapy,' US District Judge Royce Lamberth wrote. The preliminary injunction from Lamberth means that officials within the Bureau of Prisons cannot enforce guidance the agency's leadership issued earlier this year implementing President Donald Trump's order, which directed the agency to revise its policies to 'ensure that no Federal funds are expended for any medical procedure, treatment, or drug for the purpose of conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex.' Lamberth, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, said a group of transgender inmates who had been medically diagnosed with gender dysphoria and who challenged BOP's guidance implementing the president's order were likely to succeed on their claim that the agency violated federal rulemaking procedures. They will continue to receive drugs as prescribed, the judge said. 'Nothing in the thin record before the Court suggests that either the BOP or the President consciously took stock of—much less studied—the potentially debilitating effects that the new policies could have on transgender inmates before the implementing memoranda came into force,' Lamberth wrote in the 36-page ruling. 'The BOP may not arbitrarily deprive inmates of medications or other lifestyle accommodations that its own medical staff have deemed to be medically appropriate without considering he implications of that decision.' Though the case was originally brought by three transgender inmates, Lamberth agreed to certify a class that consists of all federal inmates who are currently taking hormone therapy medication to treat their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, defined as the psychological distress an individual feels when their gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. Not every transgender individual has gender dysphoria. There are currently about 1,000 people in federal custody who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Lamberth noted that the BOP was continuing to give more than 600 inmates their prescribed hormone therapy medications, despite Trump's prior order. The Justice Department had tried to explain how the BOP was acting differently than the order said they should, Lamberth noted. A federal government lawyer at a recent hearing 'argued that the BOP's policy is to provide hormone therapy to inmates as necessary to address medical needs other than 'conforming an inmate's appearance to that of the opposite sex,' such as to ameliorate anxiety, depression, or suicidality associated with gender dysphoria. Therefore, they argue, the BOP has the authority to provide not just some relief, but the very relief that the plaintiffs sought in their Complaint—to wit, restoration of their hormone therapy.' The case so far has highlighted the changing reality transgender inmates in federal prisons have faced since Trump took office in January. Three different inmates — Alishea Kingdom, Solo Nichols and Jas Kapule — sued because they had been receiving hormone therapy where they were held and also had gained access to some supplies, such as underwear and cosmetics, that would enable them to accommodate their genders. Kingdom is a transgender woman and was able to access feminine underwear and commissary items in addition to her hormone therapy medication, while Nichols and Kapule were able to have men's boxers and chest binders. The BOP stopped Kingdom's hormone therapy in February, causing her anxiety, hopelessness, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts, she told the court. But once she and the others filed the lawsuit, her hormone therapy was restored, Lamberth noted. Nichols similarly had his testosterone injections reduced in February, until the BOP reversed course and restored the full dosage by the end of that month, court filings say. Kapule never lost access to hormone therapy, according to the court records. The judge in the case decided the three inmates would suffer irreparable harm if he didn't step in with this ruling, according to his opinion. CNN has reached out to BOP for comment on the ruling.
Globe and Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Letters to the editor, May 30: ‘If the price of my house stabilizes or even falls, I'll be delighted'
Re 'Throne Speech pledge to find public-service savings alarms labour leaders' (May 28): Mark Carney was elected as Prime Minister in large part because of the perception he has the skills and experience to lead Canada through the difficult economic times ahead. Before the ink was even dry on the throne speech, some labour leaders have expressed concerns over his proposal to find savings in the public service. He hopes to balance the operating budget by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication and deploying technology, all in an effort to improve productivity. There are no proposals for massive layoffs or indiscriminate firings, as we have witnessed with DOGE and Elon Musk to the south. All I can say is give Mark Carney some slack to come up with a successful overall economic strategy before condemning individual policies. Michael Gilman Toronto Re 'Canadian Medical Association to file legal challenge over Alberta law limiting access to treatment for transgender youth' (May 28): This is not the first time the Alberta government has interfered with the doctor-patient relationship. Several years ago, it directed what could or could not be prescribed to another vulnerable group: drug users. Had the Canadian Medical Association stepped in at that point, perhaps the United Conservative Party would have stopped there. But now: Which vulnerable group is next? Robyn Kalda Toronto Re 'To make housing more affordable, drop the tax hammer on real estate investors' (Report on Business, May 27): The housing crisis should have been seen as an example of expecting too much from the housing market. Markets rely on supply and demand to determine price. Those who need housing must be able to pay market price. This is how markets work, so why do we expect it to provide any form of housing to those who can't afford to buy or rent? Governments should accept that it is their responsibility to provide for basic needs beyond one's capacity to pay, through regulations and by devoting resources exclusively to non-market housing. There are a great many ways to successfully integrate public and co-operative housing into neighbourhoods. The private sector would build them all, and make profit doing so, but never collect rent or profit once built. Bill Jennings Kingston Houses as investments have made prices skyrocket. Tax breaks for these owners now feel like obscenities: We should end write-offs for mortgage interest and fully tax capital gains. Investors own roughly one-quarter of houses in Canada. They have been the keenest buyers, driving prices up and up and up. I am in my 70s and, like so many boomers, entered the housing market back when houses were reasonably priced. If the price of my house stabilizes or even falls, I'll be delighted. I want the next generation to have the opportunity I had to own a house. Houses should be for living in, not juicy investments. Jack Hanna Ottawa In the 41 years that I have owned my house, by my calculations, prices in my area have increased an average of about 6.5 per cent a year, while wage growth has averaged much less. Until those curves converge or, better still, cross, I don't understand how the problem will be solved. William Love Burlington, Ont. Re 'Corporate property owners fueling housing rent increases in Toronto' (Report on Business, May 21): The vast majority of Ontario rental units are subject to rent control, with rent increases tightly regulated. Recent reports – even from our members – show that rents in some areas, including the Greater Toronto Area, have begun to decrease, showing market forces at work: Supply and demand, not individual providers, set rental prices. While valid concerns about affordability are raised, it's vital to recognize the role all rental housing providers play in meeting demand for quality homes. Focusing solely on real estate investment trusts or institutional owners overlooks the broader reality: Market dynamics drive price fluctuations, not business models. Addressing affordability requires an all-hands-on-deck approach by all levels of government. Streamlining approvals, reducing costs and supporting investment will help bring more housing to market. Blaming professional housing providers distracts from the real, collective action needed for lasting solutions. Tony Irwin President and CEO, Rental Housing Canada; Toronto Re 'Public good' (Letters, May 22): A letter-writer advises that 'we who contribute gladly to medical training should have a significant role in dictating how doctors are paid.' One could substitute any number of professions here: lawyers, veterinarians, accountants, architects, engineers, to name a few. Members of these other professions have multiple options for remuneration in their careers. They may have private practices; they may bill government; they may work in either private industry or government for a salary; they may do contract work, etc. All of this liberty, despite the public purse funding a significant percentage of their education costs. Why single out the medical profession with this type of medieval criticism? Anyone who has received a postsecondary education in this country has benefited from government underwriting a significant percentage of that education. This idea is an extremely old chestnut, long past its best-before date, and should be put to bed. K. M. Peckan MD; Waterloo, Ont. Re 'Sir John A. Macdonald statue to be uncovered at Queen's Park, sparking new tensions with First Nations' (May 28): I was disappointed to see that some opponents of uncovering the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald are warning that further vandalizing or even toppling could follow. Those genuinely seeking reconciliation should recognize that it is a two-way street. Macdonald's faults have been acknowledged, but then so have his enormous achievements, not least his role in the creation of the country we love and enjoy today. Can we not find a way to have these perspectives peacefully co-exist? A wise poet once observed that 'to err is human, to forgive divine.' Scott James Toronto While, like all of us, Sir John A. Macdonald had his flaws, he was a great man and the founder of this fine country. Let us move resolutely from self-flagellation to taking pride in our history. Biff Matthews Toronto There is no doubt that Sir John A. Macdonald drank too much and his views of Indigenous people were at odds with today's opinions. Still, he is the father of our country and deserves perpetual recognition for that. If we need a police officer there 24/7, it would be worth it to see him again. A. P. Bell Toronto Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@
The Independent
29-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Utah lawmakers said gender-affirming care is harmful to kids. Their own study contradicts that claim
When Utah Republicans passed a ban on gender-affirming health care for children and teens in 2023, they argued it was needed to protect vulnerable kids from treatments that could cause long-term harm. Years later, the results of a study commissioned under the same law contradict that claim, and the Republican-led Legislature is facing pressure to reconsider the restrictions. Utah's Department of Health and Human Services and experts from the state's leading health organizations concluded from a study of thousands of transgender people that gender-affirming care generated 'positive mental health and psychosocial functioning outcomes." Policies that prevent access to hormone therapy for minors cannot be justified based on scientific findings or concerns about potential regret in the future, the report states. The agency is not taking a position on whether lawmakers should lift the statewide ban on hormone therapy and surgeries for minors. But it reminded lawmakers that they had intended for the prohibition to be temporary until the state could conduct its own research. Utah is among 27 states that have adopted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, who Republican politicians have made a political lightning rod. Federal judges have struck down bans in Arkansas, Florida and Montana as unconstitutional, though a federal appeals court has stayed the Florida ruling. The law in Kansas is not yet being enforced. Some Utah Republicans said they were open to considering the findings of the study, while others were quick to dismiss it. In a joint statement, the House sponsor of the 2023 law banning gender-affirming care and the chair of the Legislature's interim health committee said they 'intend to keep the moratorium in place.' 'Young kids and teenagers should not be making life-altering medical decisions based on weak evidence,' said Republican Reps. Katy Hall and Bridger Bolinder. 'Simply put, the science isn't there, the risks are real, and the public is with us." All major medical organizations in the U.S. consider gender-affirming care to be safe, effective and medically necessary for transgender youth. But polling shows that Republicans' restrictions on transgender kids' access to care resonate with voters, according to a recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Senate President Stuart Adams said he is committed to reviewing the report. The Republican leader has suggested previously that children and teens are too young to consent to the treatments. Children questioning their gender identity generally receive counseling and may be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs or hormones. Gender-affirming surgeries, such as operations to transform the chest or genitals, are rarely performed on minors. 'The future and safety of kids are paramount," Adams said. "That is why Utah enacted a law to safeguard the long-term health and well-being of minors while providing time to carefully examine the evolving medical landscape surrounding novel and irreversible procedures for minors. I appreciate the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for evaluating the available evidence." Utah Democratic leaders Rep. Angela Romero and Sen. Luz Escamilla are urging their Republican colleagues to take more time to review the more than 1,000-page report before deciding the future of the ban. Under the law, children who had already been diagnosed with gender dysphoria before January 2023 were allowed to continue receiving hormones. The University of Utah shut down its health clinic for LGBTQ+ youth earlier this month after the law significantly decreased its number of patients. Doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors in violation of the ban could lose their licenses and face criminal charges. The report prepared for lawmakers acknowledged certain risks associated with gender-affirming care, including an increase in some types of benign brain tumors. But experts highlighted the positive impact of such treatments in mitigating the risk of suicide among transgender youth. 'Patients that were seen at the gender clinic before the age of 18 had a lower risk of suicide compared to those referred as an adult,' the report states. 'When left untreated, individuals with gender dysphoria may experience psychological and social harms.' The report in Utah contrasts with one issued earlier this month by President Donald Trump's administration that questioned widely accepted treatment standards from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not release information about who authored the report, and major medical groups said they were not consulted. Trump's guidance urges greater reliance on behavioral therapy rather than medical interventions for children who experience a disconnect between their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. It follows an executive order Trump issued days into his second term that says the federal government must not support gender transitions for anyone under age 19.
Associated Press
29-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Utah lawmakers said gender-affirming care is harmful to kids. Their own study contradicts that claim
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — When Utah Republicans passed a ban on gender-affirming health care for children and teens in 2023, they argued it was needed to protect vulnerable kids from treatments that could cause long-term harm. Years later, the results of a study commissioned under the same law contradict that claim, and the Republican-led Legislature is facing pressure to reconsider the restrictions. Utah's Department of Health and Human Services and experts from the state's leading health organizations concluded from a study of thousands of transgender people that gender-affirming care generated 'positive mental health and psychosocial functioning outcomes.' Policies that prevent access to hormone therapy for minors cannot be justified based on scientific findings or concerns about potential regret in the future, the report states. The agency is not taking a position on whether lawmakers should lift the statewide ban on hormone therapy and surgeries for minors. But it reminded lawmakers that they had intended for the prohibition to be temporary until the state could conduct its own research. Utah is among 27 states that have adopted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, who Republican politicians have made a political lightning rod. Federal judges have struck down bans in Arkansas, Florida and Montana as unconstitutional, though a federal appeals court has stayed the Florida ruling. The law in Kansas is not yet being enforced. Some Utah Republicans said they were open to considering the findings of the study, while others were quick to dismiss it. In a joint statement, the House sponsor of the 2023 law banning gender-affirming care and the chair of the Legislature's interim health committee said they 'intend to keep the moratorium in place.' 'Young kids and teenagers should not be making life-altering medical decisions based on weak evidence,' said Republican Reps. Katy Hall and Bridger Bolinder. 'Simply put, the science isn't there, the risks are real, and the public is with us.' All major medical organizations in the U.S. consider gender-affirming care to be safe, effective and medically necessary for transgender youth. But polling shows that Republicans' restrictions on transgender kids' access to care resonate with voters, according to a recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Senate President Stuart Adams said he is committed to reviewing the report. The Republican leader has suggested previously that children and teens are too young to consent to the treatments. Children questioning their gender identity generally receive counseling and may be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs or hormones. Gender-affirming surgeries, such as operations to transform the chest or genitals, are rarely performed on minors. 'The future and safety of kids are paramount,' Adams said. 'That is why Utah enacted a law to safeguard the long-term health and well-being of minors while providing time to carefully examine the evolving medical landscape surrounding novel and irreversible procedures for minors. I appreciate the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for evaluating the available evidence.' Utah Democratic leaders Rep. Angela Romero and Sen. Luz Escamilla are urging their Republican colleagues to take more time to review the more than 1,000-page report before deciding the future of the ban. Under the law, children who had already been diagnosed with gender dysphoria before January 2023 were allowed to continue receiving hormones. The University of Utah shut down its health clinic for LGBTQ+ youth earlier this month after the law significantly decreased its number of patients. Doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors in violation of the ban could lose their licenses and face criminal charges. The report prepared for lawmakers acknowledged certain risks associated with gender-affirming care, including an increase in some types of benign brain tumors. But experts highlighted the positive impact of such treatments in mitigating the risk of suicide among transgender youth. 'Patients that were seen at the gender clinic before the age of 18 had a lower risk of suicide compared to those referred as an adult,' the report states. 'When left untreated, individuals with gender dysphoria may experience psychological and social harms.' The report in Utah contrasts with one issued earlier this month by President Donald Trump's administration that questioned widely accepted treatment standards from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not release information about who authored the report, and major medical groups said they were not consulted. Trump's guidance urges greater reliance on behavioral therapy rather than medical interventions for children who experience a disconnect between their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. It follows an executive order Trump issued days into his second term that says the federal government must not support gender transitions for anyone under age 19.
