INTRO

Your Queer Care Brief

Welcome to another edition of the Well Beings News roundup—your weekly dispatch of queer and trans health news, research, and resources, curated with care and clarity for the people providing it. We cut through the noise and pull together what matters most to you and your practice, with a sharp eye on justice, access, and evidence. Whether you’re on the floor, behind a desk, or somewhere in between, we’ve got your back with fresh updates, critical context, and no tolerance for bigotry (or bad science).

NEWS

Targeted, Tracked, and Fighting Back

In a small but important win, a federal court ruled that Trump’s executive orders restricting funding for LGBTQ+ health centers violated the law. The ruling blocks enforcement of policies that had threatened to defund initiatives labeled as promoting “gender ideology.” While the decision applies only to the plaintiffs, it could help restore funding for trans health programs in many states.

Last week, we mentioned that the Medicaid care ban was coming for all federally-funded care. This week, federally funded clinic in Iowa abruptly stopped offering hormone therapy for trans adults. Citing a recent executive order that restricts the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care, the clinic told patients they were concerned about potential funding losses if they remained noncompliant—marking yet another casualty in the care access crisis.

Then came an FBI tweet asking the public to report clinics performing gender-affirming surgeries on minors. The call, describing care as “mutilation,” directed tips to the FBI hotline and marked an unprecedented intrusion into private medical decisions, raising concerns about state surveillance on healthcare providers.

In another terrifying privacy development, the Supreme Court let stand the DOGE acquisition of the Social Security database, which includes records of all legal name and gender changes. This surveillance tool could be weaponized under current or future administrations to directly target trans people.

All of this comes amid rising violence: GLAAD’s latest ALERT Desk report logged a 14% year-over-year increase in anti-trans hate crimes, including 26 injuries and one death. Trans and gender-nonconforming people remain disproportionately targeted by hate-driven violence.

Media isn’t helping. The New York Times has launched a podcast hosted by its most culpable anti-trans journalists, exploring the “political fight” over trans health care—ironically, after years of publishing stories that fueled the exact panic now covered. The podcast was sold to advertisers for tens of thousands of dollars, with no commitment to examining the Times’ own role in shaping public policy and discourse.

The results of this “political fight” are playing out in people’s lives right now. The Human Rights Watch released a damning report documenting the effects of youth care bans across 19 states. The report draws on interviews with trans youth, families, and healthcare providers and outlines the isolation, forced migration, and mental health decline caused by legislative attacks on care access.

Across the Pacific, gender-affirming care guidelines in Aotearoa remain in limbo. Originally due in March, the guidelines have been delayed indefinitely after pressure over a section on puberty blockers. Medical experts are calling out the government for “inappropriate political interference” in a process meant to be led by science. (Sound familiar?)

One more bright spot: a federal judge blocked enforcement of a Trump policy that would have stripped transgender inmates of access to hormone therapy. The order ensures continued access to care—at least while the lawsuit is underway.

On a practical level for clinicians, this guide to sliding-scale care explains how low-cost models are keeping trans people in care despite policy rollbacks. It’s a vital resource in today’s volatile landscape, considering the important role sliding-scale services play for vulnerable populations, and the funding challenges faced by these clinics.

WHY UPGRADE

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Read More at Well Beings News

• No Safe Space: disaster & displacement while LGBTQ+

• Queer in Practice: Radical Safety with Dr. Syd Young

• 5 LGBTQ+ Resources Every Health Worker Should Bookmark

• Is Your Intake Form Sending the Wrong Message?

COMING SOON

Stories to Watch Out For

• Crossing State Lines: navigating the legal landscape of virtual care

• Improving Clinical Cultural Competency: queer for the culture

• The Risks and Benefits of AI in the Exam Room

• Our first write-in column about the potential link between queer people and autism spectrum diagnoses

• PLUS: interviews with an HIV care advocate, a neurodivergent support group facilitator, a research on conversion therapy and other fundamentalist sexuality and gender identity change efforts, and so much more!

Have a story you want to share with Well Beings News?