Signs were waved, chants spoken, and heartfelt testimonies were shared in Union Square as hundreds of New Yorkers gathered to protest hospitals in the city halting appointments for people under the age of 19 seeking gender-affirming care. Earlier this month, families of patients told Hellgate that NYU Langone had canceled their appointments. The decision follows Trump’s Executive Order threatening to withhold federal funding from hospitals providing gender-affirming treatment for ‘minors.’
In its three weeks back into office, the Trump administration has issued several executive orders that target transgender and non-binary individuals. The new measures are now beginning to have a more direct impact on the lives of transgender and non-binary people living in the state.
In 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a “safe-haven” law to protect trans youth receiving gender-affirming care in the state. Since then, New York has continued to expand anti-discriminatory laws aimed at protecting the LGBTQAI+ community in the city.
Earlier this month, NY Attorney General Letitia James warned hospitals in a letter that refusing to provide care for minors could be in direct violation of the state’s anti-discrimination laws, “We write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York State laws.”
Chloe Elentari, a transgender woman who attended the ‘Rise Up for Trans Youth’ protest, told the AmNews, “New York’s stance is strong. Letitia James came out and really supported us, and I just encourage all of our leaders to continue to be strong for us.”
Raymond Fernández photos
A demonstrator holds a “Stand Up & Protect My Trans Fam” sign 
Protesters gather around Union Square waiting for the event to start. 
Pride and transgender flags being flown as the crowd cheers. Credit: Raymond Fernández photo 
Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered at Union Square to demand access to gender-affirming care for trans youth. 
The protesters begin gathering at Union Square. 
Christen Clifford, “proud mother of two trans kids,” holding a large sign displaying support for gender-affirming care access. 
Tiffany Jade Munroe, Trans Justice Coordinator for The Caribbean Equality Project, gleefully dancing and talking to the attendees after the event was over. Credit: Raymond Fernández photo 
The protesters wave Puerto Rican and Transgender flags at the event
The event was organized by Act Up, Trans Formative Schools, and The Gender Liberation Movement. Transgender and non-binary activists as well as community organizers rallied to oppose the hospitals’ new measures.
Trans youth and the parents of trans and non-binary kids were also in attendance. Christen Clifford, “a proud parent of two trans kids,” held a large sign that read, “Gender-Affirming Care Saves Lives.” She told the AmNews “My pharmacist wouldn’t give us the medication that my kid needed. My pharmacist was scared of the DEA asking him about my trans kid’s medication… that’s the fear that Trump’s Executive Orders are creating.” She added, “the doctor only sent their prescription in because of our Attorney General Tish James, and because of the parents that wrote to her and said NYU is breaking the law. ”
Her experience highlights how New York State’s previous and current protections are now being challenged by the Trump administration, and how families are beginning to navigate the attacks perpetrated on their loved ones.
Clifford shared her message for the country and parents facing similar circumstances who may not understand what their kids are going through: “Interrogating our own transphobia is so important to overcoming it. We live in a culture of transphobia, we have to look at what has slipped into ourselves so that we don’t act on it.”
She also called for action and accountability. “Cis-white women like me…. are starting to realize that bodily autonomy includes everything from trans healthcare to abortion access, to black women being able to give birth without dying, to a young black man being able to walk down the street without being shot. All of that is bodily autonomy, all of our oppressions are connected,” she said.
What could have been a gloomy February afternoon, turned into a celebration of trans youth.
The event was full of cheering, togetherness, and colorful signs. Marti Gould Cummings, the first openly non-binary candidate to run for City Council in New York City, said, “We are seeing queer joy amplified, and we are not going to back down to hateful [and] dangerous rhetoric of Nancy Mace, Laura Boebert, Elon Musk, and that man at the oval office. We are here to fight back with queer joy and resilience.”
Tiffany Jade Munroe, the trans justice coordinator for the Caribbean Equality Project, gleefully danced and talked to the attendees after the event was over. She told the AmNews, “Trans rights are human rights. Trans lives matter, trans youth matters, trans healthcare matters, and that’s what we are all here advocating for.” She explained her organization will continue to fight back against the hateful rhetoric going on all over the U.S., and that showing up in Albany to advocate for crucial bills will be her key mission this year.