VIRGINIA NEWS – Local Virginia hospitals and parents scrambling to provide transgender healthcare for children

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The intense political battle over transgender healthcare has left numerous Virginia families scrambling to find proper care for their children. After an executive order from President Trump three Virginia hospitals paused their gender-affirming care for minors, leaving many patients in limbo with their care. However, a federal judge has blocked the executive order, and at least one of the three hospitals that originally paused its care has resumed providing it. The University of Virginia Hospital has restarted gender-affirming care for patients under 19. A number of advocacy groups are calling for the hospitals to take immediate action. Equality Virginia and other LGBTQ+ organizations have signed a joint letter urging hospitals to resume care for minors. 

Many of the families affected by this are struggling to navigate the uncertainty. Sen. Danica Roem, the first and only openly transgender member of Virginia’s General Assembly, has said that she has been in touch with families and has tried to help them switch providers before the medication that their children are using runs out. Roem said, “ Kids and families have been made to panic for weeks.” Hospitals have had much trouble navigating the fallout from Trump’s administration and Virginia is one of many places that have been impacted by it.