Our statement on Trump’s executive order to restrict gender affirming care for people under 19.
On January 28th, 2025, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order defunding gender-affirming care for young people, falsely terming it “chemical and surgical mutilation,” and calling on the Department of Justice to criminalize access. We know that under the guise of protecting the vulnerable, whether it be the so-called “unborn” or young people, the Christian right will happily preclude anyone from making decisions over their own bodies and ignore the devastating effects that these bans have on our communities. Gender-affirming care is life-saving for trans youth.The real harm will be felt by those whose access to life-saving medication and procedures will be complicated or eliminated entirely. As the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee, we reaffirm our commitment to fight for gender-affirming healthcare for all, and we recognize this commitment as an inalienable component of reproductive justice work. We will take this moment to work locally within our community and with other groups to develop an actionable response that will seek to address and overcome the barriers created by this executive order. We can protect one another, educate each other on our rights and how to defend them, and fight like hell for trans youth and their futures.