I know some of us are breathing a little easier this week after learning the continuing resolution approved by Congress to end the government shutdown contained no anti-trans riders. That matters. Every time we hold the line, it matters, even if we wish Democrats had held it longer.

Because I also know many are staring down health insurance rate increases that will hit trans people—along with other marginalized communities already stretched thin—especially hard. And we all know this reprieve doesn't mean the attacks have stopped. The attempts to ban gender-affirming care haven't ended; they've just shifted tactics, moved to different battlegrounds, found new ways to restrict access and make providers afraid.

So yes, take the small win. Catch your breath. And then let's get back to work—because the fight for our clients, our communities, and our own lives continues.

Federal and State Policy Battles

The California Supreme Court rejected a free-speech challenge to a state law protecting LGBTQ+ residents in nursing homes, ruling that intentional misgendering constitutes discriminatory conduct rather than protected speech. Congress reached a bipartisan agreement ending the government shutdown without including anti-trans riders in the continuing resolution, though future appropriations battles loom. A new Wisconsin bill would allow civil lawsuits against healthcare providers offering gender-affirming care to minors, permitting legal action until patients turn 33—the patient age that anti-trans groups want to push doctors to wait to feel comfortable providing care continues to rise.

Healthcare Access Under Threat

Northwestern Medicine quietly ceased all gender-affirming care for patients under 19 at least two months ago, complying in advance with Executive Order 14187 amid political pressure—part of a national trend among healthcare providers responding to funding threats instead of fighting back.

The Michigan State Medical Society greenlit anti-trans group Genspect to provide medical education credits, raising concerns about pseudoscience infiltrating healthcare provider training, while Washington State University suspended continuing education courses from the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine after backlash from over 30 LGBTQ organizations.

Community Response

In response to escalating threats, cities including Sacramento and Olympia have declared themselves sanctuaries for transgender people, ensuring local resources aren't used to enforce discriminatory policies. The Washington Blade examined the policy crisis reflected in the tragic suicide of collegiate swimmer Lia Smith, calling for supportive policies and gender-affirming care access. Trans people in Kentucky are increasingly arming themselves for self-defense amid rising safety concerns and anti-trans violence.

Feed your community. With SNAP benefits delayed for thousands, queer food justice programs like the Okra Project and Southern Solidarity are stepping up mutual aid efforts that disproportionately serve LGBTQ+ individuals facing food insufficiency. Feeding people is both an act of resistance and a way to promote health and wellness in the queer trans community, with those who have lived experience leading the charge.

Protect trans lives as a moral imperative. The Washington Blade examines the policy crisis reflected in the tragic suicide of collegiate swimmer Lia Smith, calling for supportive policies, gender-affirming care access, and improved mental health resources in educational institutions as essential responses to national policy failures affecting trans individuals.

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