The Monday Roundup | September 15, 2025

INTRO

Welcome to another Monday at Well Beings News—queer trans health and wellness for people who care.

It's been a wild week following Charlie Kirk's death. Major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, irresponsibly rushed to report unverified and easily-debunked claims linking the shooter to "transgender ideology”—a phrase which serves as nothing more than an anti-trans dog whistle, and which has already caused a wave of backlash in the wake of this crime.

During times like these, when mainstream media fails to meet even basic journalistic standards, independent journalism becomes even more critical—consider supporting me and others in the Back Indie Media drive to ensure stories like ours can continue telling truth to power.

Quick action for Nova Scotia readers: If you're in NS or know people who are, please sign (or share) this petition demanding the Houston government implement immediate guidelines to support 2SLGBTQIA+ students in schools.

NEWS

Trans Healthcare Systems Continue to Collapse

Major healthcare systems continue dismantling gender-affirming care programs for minors under federal pressure. Corewell Health ended all hormone therapy and puberty blockers for youth patients, while University of Michigan faced protests after making a similar decision. Rady Children's Hospital deactivated its gender clinic webpage amid uncertainty about continuing services, though sources suggest care may still be available.

Federal Legislative Attacks Intensify

Congressional Republicans are targeting transgender healthcare through multiple funding bills. The House HHS Appropriations Bill would bar all federal funding for gender dysphoria care, including medical, psychological, and social interventions—potentially devastating Medicaid and Medicare coverage nationwide.

Meanwhile, seventeen House Democrats joined Republicans in passing NDAA amendments that strip TRICARE coverage for gender-related treatments for military families. As one policy expert warns, eliminating coverage could lead insurers to cut contracts entirely, affecting all healthcare access for trans people.

Courts Deliver Mixed Results

Federal judges are split on transgender healthcare protections. A judge blocked Trump's subpoena of Boston Children's Hospital, ruling the DOJ's investigation aimed to "harass and intimidate" rather than serve legitimate law enforcement purposes.

However, a federal appeals court ruled against a transgender deputy in Georgia, finding that insurance exclusions don't constitute sex discrimination. Kentucky courts denied a preliminary injunction seeking gender-affirming care for incarcerated trans people, while North Carolina's State Health Plan is asking appeals courts to lift requirements for transgender healthcare coverage.

State-Level Protections and Investigations

California lawmakers passed Senate Bill 497 to shield transgender patients' medical records from out-of-state investigations, building on the state's sanctuary policies. Texas dropped its lawsuit against Dr. Hector Granados, finding no violations after investigating the pediatric endocrinologist for providing transgender youth care.

Personnel and Public Health Concerns

Trump appointed Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy FBI Director—the same Missouri Attorney General who led attacks on transgender healthcare access, raising surveillance concerns for the community.

In Florida, Moms for Liberty leader Jennifer Pippin faces questions about misrepresenting her nursing credentials while advocating for anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

Meanwhile, mpox cases are climbing in New York City with 57 new infections reported, particularly affecting gay men and transgender individuals.

International Progress

The Dutch parliament voted to criminalize conversion therapy targeting sexual orientation, though the law doesn't address conversion practices targeting transgender people, and only criminalizes “systematic” or “intrusive” methods, leaving open other kinds of sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts in pastoral care.

GOOD READS

• An Interview Tool for Identifying Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity and Expression Change Efforts (SOGIECE) in Queer Youth - New research on screening tools to identify harmful conversion therapy exposure in LGBTQ+ youth

• Europe's Trans Community Reckons With Decades of Sterilization Requirements - Examining the historical trauma of forced sterilization policies and their lasting impact on transgender communities

• TERF Island - A critique of trans-exclusionary feminism and why trans rights align with core feminist principles of autonomy and inclusion

• The Story - Doc Impossible challenges rigid trans narratives and explores how societal expectations shape individual gender identity experiences

RESEARCH

Become a paying member to get access to the weekly Research Roundup, as well as our original reporting and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.