Advocate NL 9/23/26

Happy Wednesday folks! Audience Editor Edgar Ramirez here, back in your inbox with some on-the-ground reporting from The Advocate's Jack Walker in New York.

Hundreds of people marched outside a New York City hospital center Tuesday evening to protest a deal it struck with the Trump administration to keep gender-affirming services closed to minors, Jack writes.

NYU Langone Health took a deal last week to pay the federal government $8.5 million and block minors from its gender-affirming services. The hospital is one of many under investigation by the Justice Department for its program, and suspended services for trans youth in February. (The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania also agreed to pay $950,000, the department announced.)

Protesters called upon the hospital and two others in the city, Mount Sinai Health System and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, to restore and protect services for youth. Actor Elliot Page, Democratic congressional nominee Claire Valdez and New York City Council Members Harvey Epstein and Carl Wilson were in attendance, among others.

“These hospitals are claiming that they’re entering these settlements as a way to protect their patients. I’m sure that is part of it, but they could have actually fought this in court,” Eliel Cruz, deputy director of the Gender Liberation Movement, told The Advocate. “Not by settling with them and giving a financial settlement.”

Check out Jack's full reporting here, and give us a follow on Instagram to see more photos and videos from the protest.

Until next time!

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Advocate NL 9/23/26

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