HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a nationwide attempt to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth through a proposed federal rule reframing such care as "sex-rejecting procedures" and threatening to strip hospitals of Medicare and Medicaid funding. The rule prompted immediate responses: Denver Health and Children's Hospital Colorado suspended youth gender-affirming care programs, while experts questioned whether Kennedy has the legal authority to implement such sweeping restrictions through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services alone.

The ACLU pledged to challenge the rule in court, Lambda Legal condemned the administration's latest attack, and the Trans Youth Emergency Project released guidance to help families navigate care access. The American Academy of Pediatrics joined other pediatricians in opposing the ban. Meanwhile, the AAP lost federal grant funding after HHS determined their programs didn't align with administration priorities.

Families brought legal challenges against Yale and Connecticut Children's Medical Center for capitulating to federal pressure and cutting off transgender youth's access to care despite state protections. Sutter Health in California initially suspended care but later reversed course after backlash.

Federal judges blocked multiple DOJ attempts to obtain health records of transgender youth patients, with one judge detecting a "whiff of ill intent" in the administration's subpoena of UPMC records. HHS launched an investigation of Seattle Children's Hospital over its transgender youth care program, while New Mexico officials confronted federal efforts to end care for minors statewide.

In a separate development, the FDA sent warning letters to companies selling chest binders, prompting vendors to call the action "absurd" given the agency's own acknowledgment that binders aren't classified as medical devices requiring FDA oversight.

In Canada, an Alberta judge sided with the province and removed an injunction that had paused the ban on gender-affirming care for youth, allowing the restrictions to take effect.

NHS England published the Levy Review examining adult transgender health clinics, with long waiting times coming under heavy criticism. Separately, the Trans Safety Network released a statement raising serious concerns about NHS research plans and data collection practices affecting transgender patients.

To start off the new year, read Erin Reed's the case for hope in 2026.

The public comment period is open for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed rule on "sex-rejecting procedures"—submit your comments through the Federal Register before the deadline.

UK readers: help people avoid harmful data collection by sharing the Trans Safety Network's guidance on NHS research plans.

Therapists Push Back on Anti-Trans Continuing Education - Mental health professionals are challenging anti-trans bias in professional training programs.

America is going in the wrong direction for intersex children - An examination of how current policy trends threaten intersex youth healthcare access.

A Growing Number of Republican States Are Trying to Identify Trans Residents - Data collection efforts targeting transgender populations raise serious privacy and safety concerns.

The Government Has a Death Wish for My Son - A parent's perspective on federal attacks against transgender youth healthcare.

Why Banning Gender Affirming Care Does Not Stop Demand - Healthcare bans don't eliminate the need for care—they just force it underground.

Is Transition a Choice? The Question People Keep Asking - Exploring the persistent framing of transition as optional rather than medically necessary.

Is It Ever Too Late? Geriatric Gender Transitioning and the Race Against Time - Older adults navigating gender transition face unique challenges and timelines.

Gender Politics and the Weaponization of Personal Data - How transgender health information becomes a tool for surveillance and control.

In the Face of Anti-Trans Escalation, We Need More Than Legal Strategies - Community organizing and mutual aid remain essential alongside courtroom battles.

I had a wonderful solstice, Christmas, and New Year. And I got the new downloadable resource page almost finished. It will be fully functional again later this week. If you need to access any of the resources until then, here they are! Twelve new resources are on the way this year. Stay tuned for those!