The Boston-based Fenway Health — one of the country’s leading care and research centers for LGBTQIA+ people — is halting its gender-affirming care for patients under 19 years old in response to the Trump administration’s requirements for federal funding, which Fenway Health relies on.
“This change in position is a response to a shifting federal landscape that requires us to adapt in order to remain compliant, sustainable, and able to provide healthcare, support, and services to all our patients and the community,” stated Fenway Health in the letter to patients. “[The status] loss would significantly challenge our ability to meet the needs of all who rely on us.”
Reports the Boston Globe:
The federally qualified health center said it must comply with Health Resources & Services Administration regulations to maintain support for its more than 30,000 patients. Fenway Health emphasized that its priority remains the “health, safety, and continuity of care” for those affected.
The decision by the clinic comes after the HRSA released a statement in September saying it is no longer prioritizing funding for programs that engage in gender-affirming care, including medical interventions such as puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries.
But the move has angered many in the community who relied on Fenway Health’s care.
Alejandra Caraballo, a former board member of Fenway Health, took to Bluesky, saying this move was a “cowardly capitulation sacrificing trans youth.”
Others followed, saying, “This is terrible,” and “Those kids need support now more than ever,” adding that they were “furious” over this “weak and pathetic” action.
J.T. Scott, a city councilor in Somerville on Bluesky, added, “Fenway Health cutting off access to medical treatment for trans youth is shameful and unnecessary. There is no need for this.”
He urged the community to contact the attorney general and the governor, arguing that ending this care at Fenway Health violates state law, which protects access to reproductive and gender-affirming health services.
Some have argued it also contradicts Boston’s declaration as a sanctuary city for transgender people. The resolution says the city prohibits taxpayer-funded agencies from cooperating with federal efforts to restrict resources that protect transgender rights.
Nina Selvaggio, executive director of the Greater Boston chapter of LGBTQ+ advocacy organization PFLAG, told The Boston Globe that she is not aware of other local gender-affirming care providers limiting access to children under 19.
Selvaggio told the Globe the Trump administration’s efforts to halt gender-affirming care for minors have been exhausting.
“It feels like daily there are blows dealt to our community,” Selvaggio said to the Globe. “We’re all trying to do the best we can.”
Read the complete Boston Globe story here.
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