Families sue SoCal hospital system after gender-affirming care for trans youth halted
Families in California have filed a lawsuit against Rady Children’s Health (Canva/Envato)
According to a class action complaint unsealed Thursday (19 March), families in California have filed a lawsuit against Rady Children’s Health, accusing the hospital network of discrimination after it stopped providing gender-affirming care to patients under 19.
The decision, announced in January, left around 1,900 young people facing cancelled treatments, disrupted care plans, and the possibility of travelling long distances to access services they had previously received. The lawsuit argues the move violates state law by denying care based on gender identity.
In a 19 March interview with The Advocate, Amy Whelan of the National Center for LGBTQ+ Rights said the case centres on whether the hospital unlawfully singled out transgender patients. “Hospitals cannot legally refuse to treat a patient because of who they are,” she said, calling the decision “unconscionable.”
The hospital cited “recent federal actions” when ending care, as pressure from the Trump administration has pushed hospitals nationwide to scale back services by threatening funding tied to gender-affirming care.
The lawsuit unfolds alongside separate legal action from California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, who sued the hospital system in January over their stoppage of gender-affirming care for trans minors.
