New York AG orders major medical center to resume gender-affirming care for youth

New York Attorney General Letitia James has ordered a New York City hospital to resume providing gender-affirming care to minors, arguing that the program’s recent closure violated state nondiscrimination laws.

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NYU Langone, a major health provider based in Manhattan, closed its Transgender Youth Health Program in February. The decision came after President Donald Trump threatened last December to revoke federal dollars for hospitals that provide trans youth with gender-affirming care.

But the hospital’s decision met ardent pushback from advocacy groups and some city and state officials, including James. The attorney general’s office sent NYU Langone an order to resume the program on February 25, which was shared publicly this week.

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The letter defines trans youth as a “protected class,” according to The New York Times. James’s office said that providing forms of care like puberty blockers and hormone treatments only to youth who are not transgender may violate state nondiscrimination laws.

The office promised “further action” if the hospital failed to comply, the Associated Press reported.

Trump’s proposal to pull hospital funds did not impact federal law or requirements that hospitals comply with state law, said Darsana Srinivasan, health care bureau chief for the attorney general’s office, in the letter.

“The sudden discontinuation of medically necessary transgender healthcare can have severe, negative health outcomes,” Srinivasan said, the Associated Press reports. “The Attorney General is extremely concerned by your institution’s decision to cease the provision of care to this vulnerable, minority population.”

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Media representatives for NYU Langone did not return a request for comment on this story.

Last year, NYU Langone canceled some appointments for trans youth seeking care after Trump issued an executive order clamping down on gender-affirming care and funding for hospitals that provide it to minors. James had also advised New York health providers then that stopping gender-affirming care for youth would violate state law.

After NYU Langone closed its program, another major health provider in New York City, the Mount Sinai Health System, also closed its youth program. The hospital did not return The Advocate's request for comment on whether it would reconsider the decision in light of the attorney general’s order.

This article was written as part of the Future of Queer Media fellowship program at The Advocate, which is underwritten by a generous gift from Morrison Media Group. The program helps support the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists.