Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs released a “report” on healthcare for trans young people that misrepresents the medical consensus and undermines decades of clinical best practice. The publication advocates for the denial of medically necessary healthcare to trans people and promotes the dangerous, discredited practice of conversion “therapy” as the only alternative.

Crucially, the publication does not change current law or policy. The executive order that spawned this report is currently being challenged by multiple lawsuits, and Garden State Equality has written an open letter to healthcare providers and insurers urging them not to change their care practices for trans patients.

“Medical providers and families already work together to make sure trans young people are healthy and get the care they need,” said Aisling MacDonald (she/her), Project Manager & Trainer at Garden State Equality. “The Trump administration’s actions will only make it harder for trans youths to get lifesaving healthcare. What our government is promoting is nothing other than conversion therapy under a different name. As a survivor of conversion therapy, I know first hand the damage that it causes, and it has taken my entire life to heal from that harm. There is no telling the nightmares that will ensue should this latest attack on human rights go unchecked.”

Trans healthcare for young people relies on the same medications used to treat young people with other conditions, like early-onset puberty, which have been proven by research to be safe, effective, and medically necessary. All major medical associations in the U.S., including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, have supported transition-related medical care and discredited conversion “therapy”, which increases the likelihood of severe psychological distress in those who undergo it.

"This abusive and dangerous ‘therapy’ doesn't convert or correct, it subverts and harms,” said Dean Dafis (he/him), Councilman for Maplewood Township in North Jersey. “It conditions its victims to internal shame, insecurity, anxiety, depression, anger, and isolation. It causes destructive behavior, self-harm, and it has led to suicide and death. It stripped me of any human dignity or decency, it denied me my sense of self or identity. It robbed me of my adolescence and confidence. It led me very close to ending my life. For society at large, it promotes hate, ignorance, and incites violence against the LGBTQ+ community.”

In New Jersey, conversion “therapy” for minors has been illegal since 2013, and the law has remained in place despite challenges to it going to the United States Supreme Court three times between 2015 and 2019. In addition, trans people are protected from discrimination in healthcare under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. Gov. Phil Murphy also signed an executive order in 2024 making New Jersey a safe haven for trans healthcare.

Garden State Equality will continue to be on the front lines, ensuring that all trans people in New Jersey maintain access to the essential, lifesaving healthcare they need. Our ongoing Jersey for Trans Healthcare campaign aims to bolster existing state laws around transition-related medical care.

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Garden State Equality, the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in New Jersey, lifts up the diverse voices of LGBTQ+ communities through education, advocacy, and wellness to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey and nationally