New York, June 24 – During evening rush hour, the Gender Liberation Movement and ACT UP NY held protests outside three New York City health care monopolies that cut off gender-affirming care to transgender youth earlier this year: Mount Sinai, NYU Langone and NewYork-Presbyterian.
The sudden end of this life-saving care came in response to executive orders and threats by the Trump administration. None of these carried the weight of law or official regulations.
New York State law provides legal protections against persecution for youth, families and health care providers. That didn’t matter to the hospital profiteers.
Hospitals and health care systems across the U.S. in so-called “blue states” governed by Democrats have similarly rushed to comply with Trump’s genocidal campaign against trans health care.
Outside a Mount Sinai Health facility in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, organizers read out anonymous statements from affected youth and families who were blindsided by the hospital’s actions.
In May, former patients were informed that NYU Langone and Mount Sinai were planning to hand over private medical records to the Trump regime in response to a federal subpoena. The government has announced its intention to prosecute providers and families. Earlier today, a federal judge placed a temporary block on the handover of protected patient records.
A trans teen and her parent, who will soon leave the U.S., came to the picket and spoke in person.
They explained that their family lost many members in the Holocaust of Jewish, Roma, queer and other peoples under the Nazis. Last year, they had a difficult conversation about the situation for trans lives in the U.S., and realized “it’s time to go.”
“It was a hard decision to uproot our lives,” said the parent, “especially because we know many like us are not in a position to leave.”
‘Honor your oath!’
In Chelsea, picketers carried bright green signs with photos of Mount Sinai Health CEO Dr. Brendan Carr, superimposed with the words “Do no harm!” They chanted, “Mount Sinai, honor your oath!” and “Wake up, wake up, this is your fight too. When they’re done with us, they’re coming for you!”
Hundreds of leaflets were distributed to patients, health care workers, and passersby:
“This hospital abandoned trans youth and their families.
“NYU Langone and Mount Sinai have ended health care for transgender youth – not because of medical science, but because of political pressure from the Trump administration. NewYork-Presbyterian removed information about care for trans youth from their website and refuses to answer if they’re accepting patients. Now, these hospitals may hand over private medical records of trans youth to the federal government.
“We demand they:
-Restore gender affirming care for all trans youth patients;
-Publicly apologize to families harmed by these decisions;
-Meet with impacted families and advocates;
-Refuse to turn over patient records.
“If hospitals can abandon one group of patients because of politics, no patient’s care is safe.
“Trans youth deserve health care. Families deserve dignity. Patients deserve privacy.”
Organizers said this was the first in a series of actions to escalate pressure on the hospital bosses, state and local politicians.
Join the Struggle-La Lucha Telegram channel