California AG warns clinics to keep providing gender-affirming care to transgender youths

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Wednesday warned hospital and clinic administrators in the state that if they provide gender-affirming medical care to transgender patients, they have a legal obligation to continue doing so, regardless of President Donald Trump’s executive order pulling federal funding from clinics providing those services to minors.

That order reads that “it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

In a statement, Bonta said California supports the rights of transgender youths “to live their lives as their authentic selves,” and that he would not allow Trump to “turn back the clock” on those rights.

“I understand that the President’s executive order on gender-affirming care has created some confusion. Let me be clear: California law has not changed, and hospitals and clinics have a legal obligation to provide equal access to health-care services,” Bonta said.

The attorney general cited both a recent judge’s decision barring Trump from freezing congressionally appropriated spending he disagrees with, as well as California civil rights law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Trump’s order has created chaos for medical providers across the country. In California, the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles paused its gender-affirming treatment program, prompting praise from the California Family Council’s president, Jonathan Keller.

“We are deeply thankful for the Trump administration’s leadership in pressuring hospitals and medical professionals to stop these dangerous and irreversible procedures,” Keller said.

The CFC is recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist movements across the country, as an anti-LGBTQ hate group.

While some hospitals have suspended their gender-affirming treatment programs, others, including the University of California medical system, are continuing to provide that care while “reviewing and assessing” Trump’s order.

“UC health locations continue to operate in ways that reflect our values and mission for furthering the health of all people of California. UC’s health locations have not canceled appointments for any reason other than routine operational needs,” according to a statement from the UC Office of the President.

Trump on Wednesday signed yet another executive order against transgender people, this one aimed at banning trans women and girls from participating in female sports.

“Under the Trump administration we will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women’s sports will be only for women,” Trump said, disregarding transgender women in his statement.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with Trump and members of Congress, criticized the anti-transgender orders in an interview with The Bee, referencing Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who in 2022 said, “Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few.”

Just 1.4% of youths aged 13 to 17 identify as transgender, according to the UCLA Williams Institute.

Newsom said his focus was on other issues at the moment.

“I’m here to talk about the price of eggs, I’m here to talk about issues related to disaster recovery. I’m here to talk about things that folks want us to be talking about,” the governor said.

The Bee’s Jenavieve Hatch and McClatchyDC’s David Lightman contributed to this story.

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM with the headline "California AG warns clinics to keep providing gender-affirming care to transgender youths."