Several impacted families have informed us that Essentia Health, based in Duluth (MN) has instructed its providers to stop providing necessary and evidence-based gender affirming care for their pediatric patients. Patients were given no prior notice regarding the cessation of their care and, as far as we are aware, are not being referred to other care providers. To date, we are not aware of any official statements from Essentia Health on this issue.

Given that:

• gender-affirming care is still legal in the state of Minnesota;
• it is supported by all the major, reputable professional organizations as evidence-based and effective;
• it is considered to be life-saving by many community members;
• it has been shown to consistently reduce suicidal ideation and co-occurring mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety;
• many families have moved to Minnesota because of our trans refuge status;
• it is unethical to terminate care at short notice without providing appropriate referrals;
• that gender identity is a category protected by the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and thus it’s unlawful to discriminate against people based on their gender identity.

Trans Northland, allied organizations, and individual community members are asking Essentia Health to make their position on gender affirming care for minors clear and public.

In addition to this, Trans Northland, allied organizations, and individual community members demand that all healthcare systems in our region do not comply in advance with unlawful and unethical demands from the current federal government. 

We demand that Essentia, as well as St Luke’s / Aspirus, and other relevant healthcare organizations in our region make gender affirming care for minors available as needed to their patients, including puberty delaying medication (also known as puberty blockers) and hormonal treatment.

Please sign our petition if you agree that medically necessary gender affirming care should be made (or remain) available for pediatric patients and their families in the Northland.

If you or your family has been impacted by restrictions on gender affirming care, please consider completing our "Survey on Barriers to Gender Affirming Care for Trans Youth in the Northland" at: https://forms.gle/144kscp7BCPD2CAE8