Equality California on Ruling Blocking Unlawful & Dangerous Anti-Trans ‘Kennedy Declaration’

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoangin response to a federal ruling that blocks U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary RFK, Jr.'s so-called Kennedy Declaration. The Kennedy Declaration claims that medically necessary health care for transgender youth fails to meet professionally recognized standards of care and that, as such, HHS may disqualify any doctors or hospitals that provide this care from federal health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid:

"We are grateful to California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the coalition of state attorneys general who successfully challenged RFK, Jr. 's dangerous declaration and the Trump administration's continued attacks on transgender kids, their families, and their doctors. This ruling is a major victory for health care providers across the country, affirming that they can and should continue providing care to transgender youth.

The judge's decision makes clear that RFK Jr. lacks the authority to establish standards of care to exclude providers from Medicare and Medicaid, and further prevents HHS's Office of Inspector General from taking action against providers. Although the Trump administration is expected to appeal, this decision offers critical relief for transgender youth, their families, and the providers who care for them.

Young people thrive when they receive the care they need from providers they and their families trust. Politicians should not be interfering in private medical decisions that should be made between kids, their families, and their doctors.

Decades of research show that health care for transgender youth is safe, effective, and medically necessary. Families should be able to rely on trusted medical providers - not politicians - to make these critical health care decisions. At a time when people are facing rising costs and economic uncertainty, the federal government should be focused on the issues impacting people's everyday lives, not bullying children or interfering in deeply personal medical decisions."

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