INTRO

We're dealing with an unprecedented coordinated assault on transgender healthcare and rights across multiple fronts this week, with a particularly alarming development in federal funding that could devastate access to care across the USA. From congressional appropriations bills targeting all gender-affirming care to military purges using medical records as weapons, the scope and sophistication of these attacks demand immediate attention.

In research this week, we have significant developments that underscore both the resilience of transgender communities and the ongoing gaps in healthcare delivery. A major Swedish study tracking nearly 10,000 individuals confirms what we've long known—legal gender changes show remarkable stability at 97.7% over a decade, providing robust evidence against detransition narratives being weaponized in policy debates.

This research reinforces that your clinical work makes a profound difference, even as you navigate an increasingly hostile political landscape.

NEWS

United States:

Federal Policy and Funding Attacks

The House HHS Appropriations Bill includes provisions that would bar federal funding for all forms of gender-affirming care, including psychological and medical interventions for transgender individuals at any age. Described as an anti-transgender "Hyde Amendment," the language would prohibit federal dollars from being used for "social, psychological, behavioral, or medical intervention performed for the purposes of intentionally changing the body of an individual." This would immediately strip Medicaid and Medicare coverage if passed and could be wielded by the Trump administration to pressure hospitals and clinics by threatening federal funding cuts—tactics that have already forced roughly half of youth gender clinics nationwide to shut down. The bill also includes provisions that would function as a de facto national transgender sports ban for educational institutions receiving federal funding. Importantly, the Senate version does not currently include these provisions, meaning seven Senate Democrats would need to break ranks for this to become law.

The Trump administration has simultaneously demanded that Massachusetts remove all references to gender identity from its federally funded sex education curricula within 60 days, threatening to cut $2.36 million in funding. Similar orders were issued to Ohio's youth prisons, part of a broader directive affecting 46 other states and territories. These moves represent a coordinated federal strategy to erase recognition of transgender individuals from educational materials, with advocates arguing this undermines comprehensive sex education and the acknowledgment essential for transgender individuals' safety and well-being.

Military and Healthcare Surveillance

The Pentagon is using medical records of transgender troops, specifically diagnoses of gender dysphoria required during Trump's first term, to remove them from service under current policies. Air Force Master Sgt. Logan Ireland and thousands of others who were required to get official medical diagnoses to continue serving during the first Trump administration now find those same records being used to kick them out, leaving many without due process or promised benefits. The Air Force has further restricted the process by mandating that separation boards "must recommend separation" for anyone with a gender dysphoria diagnosis and prohibiting recordings of hearings, moves that legal advocates argue violate constitutional protections.

The Department of Justice has issued sweeping subpoenas to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and at least 19 other hospitals nationwide, demanding medical records for hundreds of transgender children receiving gender-affirming care. The subpoenas seek dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, and every communication by doctors dating back to January 2020, ostensibly to investigate healthcare fraud related to off-label prescribing of puberty blockers and hormones. Parents express panic that the federal government may use this highly personal medical information to politically target their children, while CHOP is fighting in federal court to limit the subpoena's scope to protect patient privacy.

Healthcare Access and Legal Challenges

Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio announced it will discontinue all gender-affirming medical care effective September 26, joining the growing list of institutions retreating from transgender healthcare under federal pressure. Meanwhile, a federal judge has temporarily paused a ban on gender-affirming care in Georgia prisons, ruling the prohibition likely unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment and allowing approximately 340 transgender inmates to continue receiving treatments.

Two federal court cases demonstrate the dangerous escalation of anti-transgender policies: the Justice Department's effort to transfer 19 transgender women from women's to men's prisons and South Carolina's attempt to prevent one transgender boy from using male restrooms at school. Legal advocates emphasize that these cases reveal how transgender women face the same brutal reality any woman would face if forced to live in prison among men, while even basic accommodations for individual students are being challenged through emergency Supreme Court filings.

Educational Institutions Under Pressure

The University of North Alabama closed the Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion, which supported LGBTQ students and addressed suicide prevention, following Alabama's 2024 law prohibiting state funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. PEN America and PEN International highlighted educational censorship in the U.S. as a serious human rights threat in their joint submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review, documenting violations of rights to free expression, education, and non-discrimination that disproportionately affect marginalized students including LGBTQ+ individuals.

Canada

Alberta Implements Sweeping Restrictions on Youth

Alberta's new Education Amendment Act restricts students under 16 from requesting name or pronoun changes without parental consent, while the removal of over 200 books related to gender and sexuality creates a chilling effect on queer and trans youth's rights and well-being in schools. Simultaneously, Edmonton Public Schools now requires parents to confirm their child's sex at birth for participation in girls' sports, following the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act that bans transgender athletes from competing in female divisions. The policy includes provisions for written challenges to students' eligibility and mandatory reporting to the province, creating an environment where children must potentially subject themselves to gender verification processes.

United Kingdom

Healthcare Access Deteriorates for Transgender Adults

Campaigners report a significant rise in GPs denying transgender patients hormone replacement therapy, with individuals who were on HRT for years now being denied care and experiencing severe mental health impacts. The situation has worsened due to recent rulings and a lack of competence cited by many GPs, highlighting the urgent need for proper training and support for medical professionals to ensure equitable access to transgender healthcare.

India

Legal and Policy Developments on Education and Census

The Supreme Court of India is seeking responses from the Centre and NCERT regarding a petition for including transgender-inclusive sexuality education in school curricula, addressing gaps in current educational materials and emphasizing the necessity for gender sensitization in schools. Meanwhile, transgender activists in Karnataka express frustration over the upcoming census, feeling their community was not consulted and calling for better publicity and involvement of community organizations to ensure the census effectively serves all gender minorities.

Africa

Criminalization Expands Across the Continent

Burkina Faso has passed a law banning homosexuality, imposing prison sentences of two to five years for offenders, including foreign nationals who may be deported. This legislation reflects a growing trend of anti-LGBTQ policies in African countries, with Burkina Faso joining more than half of African nations that penalize sexual orientation.

The move follows similar actions by neighboring ally Mali, which adopted laws criminalizing homosexuality in November 2024, while Ghana and Uganda have recently toughened their anti-homosexuality laws with Uganda making "aggravated homosexuality" a capital offense.

Good Reads

An Interview Tool for Identifying Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity and Expression Change Efforts (SOGIECE) in Queer Youth - This article introduces strategies for screening and supporting LGBTQ+ youth who have experienced conversion therapy and other harmful sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts.

I am become woke, destroyer of schools - An analysis of the backlash against LGBTQ+ materials in Canadian schools and the weaponization of terms like "groomer" and "radical gender ideology" to marginalize queer and trans individuals.

DIGEST

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WHY UPGRADE

RESEARCH

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