Petition to:
Paul S. Viviano
President and Chief Executive Officer
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has long been recognized as one of the world's leading pediatric healthcare institutions.

For years, families trusted CHLA to provide compassionate, evidence-based care to children facing a wide range of medical challenges.

That is why its decision to discontinue gender-affirming care for transgender youth was so troubling.

At the heart of this issue is a simple question:

Should a hospital be permitted to provide certain medications and treatments to some patients while denying those same treatments to others because of their gender identity?

The Colorado Supreme Court recently suggested the answer may be no.

In a landmark decision on May 18, 2026, the Colorado Supreme Court found sufficient evidence that Children’s Hospital Colorado’s suspension of gender-affirming care may constitute unlawful discrimination under Colorado law. The court recognized that treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies remain available within pediatric medicine for a variety of medical conditions for cis gender youth, yet were being withheld from transgender children when sought as part of gender-affirming care.

The court also rejected the notion that speculative concerns about future federal funding consequences, standing alone, could justify denying patients access to care. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles offered similar concerns when it ended its own gender-affirming care program, citing uncertainty surrounding federal policy and potential funding risks.

That ruling raises important questions here in Los Angeles.

CHLA did not discontinue these services because the medications suddenly became unsafe, unavailable, or medically obsolete. The treatments remained available. The medical expertise remained available. The need for care remained.

What changed was who could access it.

When healthcare is made available to some patients but denied to others because of their gender identity, serious concerns about equal treatment arise.

For more than a year, community members throughout Los Angeles have been urging CHLA to reconsider its decision. Since February 20, 2025, members of Protect Trans Youth LA and I have organized and participated in weekly Thursday demonstrations outside Children’s Hospital Los Angeles alongside families, healthcare advocates, transgender youth, and community supporters. Together, we have worked to keep public attention focused on the young people affected by this policy.

Week after week, our message has remained consistent:

Children deserve healthcare decisions guided by patients, families, and medical professionals—not politics.

Behind every policy decision is a child, a family, and a future.

The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision reflects a principle most Americans already understand: healthcare institutions should not treat similarly situated patients differently because of who they are. Every child deserves dignity. Every family deserves equal treatment. And every patient deserves access to healthcare free from discrimination.

Now, in light of this important court decision, CHLA has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and reaffirm its commitment to providing equitable care to all patients.

We respectfully call upon Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to:

• Restore access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
• Reestablish services previously offered through its Center for Transyouth Health and Development.
• Ensure that patients are not denied treatment because of their gender identity.
• Reaffirm its commitment to providing healthcare free from discrimination.
• Meet with affected families and community stakeholders to rebuild trust and chart a path forward.

This petition is not about politics.

It is about fairness.

It is about equal treatment.

And it is about ensuring that no child is denied access to healthcare because of gender identity.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles should not wait for another lawsuit, another court ruling, or another year of protest before restoring equal access to care.

Please sign this petition and urge Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to restore equal access to care.

NO CHILD SHOULD BE DENIED CARE BECAUSE OF GENDER.