Stand with members of Gaylesta in demanding Stanford reinstate gender-affirming care for their trans youth patients!

The members of Gaylesta, an LGBTQIA+ organization comprising over 500 mental health providers in the Bay Area, express profound concern and disappointment regarding Stanford’s recent decision to pause providing gender-affirming surgical procedures for patients under age 19.

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth continue to experience heightened discrimination and legislative attacks nationwide, and the adverse outcomes from being denied gender-affirming care are well-documented. California has long served as a safe haven for TGD youth and their families. It is imperative that healthcare professionals continue providing this legal, empirically supported, life-saving care despite political pressure. Stanford’s decision tarnishes this reputation and erodes the trust that the TGD community has placed in your institution. This trust is further eroded by the abrupt nature of this decision that was made behind closed doors and without public transparency. 

California state law unequivocally supports access to gender-affirming care, as evidenced by SB-923, which ensures discrimination-free provision of care, and SB-107, which codifies youth access to gender-affirming medical care and protects providers from legal retaliation. Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with 13 other state attorneys general, has reaffirmed their commitment to upholding gender-affirming care in their respective states. Stanford’s decision contradicts these legal protections and sets a dangerous precedent. Preemptive compliance sends a distressing message to trans youth and their families that their healthcare is negotiable. 

As a leading pediatric healthcare institution, Stanford bears an ethical responsibility to provide evidence-based care grounded in facts, not fear. We urge you to reconsider this decision and immediately reinstate all gender-affirming services for youth. Upholding this care, particularly at this critical moment, affirms Stanford’s leadership in equity, inclusion, and the fundamental right to healthcare for all residents. We encourage Stanford to reaffirm its commitment to TGD youth and ensure their continued access to protected care.