Posted February 19, 2026
In defiance, over 50 parents and activists protested at the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters on Tuesday, in response to a set of proposed rules from the agency that would institute a de facto national ban on access to gender-affirming care for trans youth. In the wake of President Trump’s anti-transgender executive orders, the Supreme Court’s U.S. v Skrmetti ruling upholding Tennessee’s ban on care for youth, and a wave of gender clinic closures, his administration has escalated efforts to strip families of access to this necessary, life-saving care.
In response, Gender Liberation Movement (GLM) led a demonstration, with participation from members of ACT UP NY and ACT UP Pittsburgh, on the final day of the public comment period for the proposed rules, in which organizers blockaded the main entrance to the building, holding a sign that read “HANDS OFF OUR ‘MONES,” while chanting, “HHS—RFK—TRANS YOUTH ARE NO DEBATE” and “NO HATE—NO FEAR—TRANS YOUTH ARE WELCOME HERE.” Twenty-four people were arrested while blockading the entrance to the building and are currently in the custody of the Metropolitan Police Department.
“We want trans youth and their loving families to know that we see them, we cherish them, and we won’t let these attacks go on without a fight,” said GLM co-founder Raquel Willis. “We also want all Americans to understand that Trump, RFK, and their HHS won’t stop at trying to block care for trans youth—they’re coming for trans adults, for those who need treatment from insulin to SSRIs, and all those already failed by a broken health insurance system.”
On Dec. 18, 2025, HHS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced proposed rules to halt access to gender-affirming care for trans youth nationwide, implementing Trump’s executive order to “end the practice of sex-rejecting procedures on children that expose young people to irreversible harm.” The rules would bar hospitals from providing such care to those under 18 as a condition of Medicare/Medicaid participation and block federal Medicaid/CHIP funding for it—effectively targeting virtually every U.S. hospital. Dozens of hospitals nationwide have preemptively halted youth programs due to threats to federal funding. HHS has also signaled enforcement against LGBTQ-focused providers like Callen-Lorde and the LA LGBT Center, even in states without outright bans.
“It is shameful and intentional that this administration is pitting communities against one another by weaponizing Medicaid funding to strip care from trans youth. This has nothing to do with protecting health and everything to do with political distraction,” said GLM co-founder Eliel Cruz. “They are targeting young people to deflect from their failure to deliver for working families across the country. Instead of restricting care, we should be expanding it. Healthcare is a human right, and it must be accessible to every person — without cost or exception.”
Despite HHS’s refusal to recognize gender-affirming care for trans youth, major medical associations—including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society—has regarded this care (which includes psychotherapy, social support, and—when clinically appropriate—puberty blockers and hormones) as evidence-based treatment for adolescents.
GLM has seen firsthand how restrictions on access to care devastate affirming families and trans youth. Over the past few years, nearly half of transgender adults in the U.S. have relocated or are planning to relocate from restrictive states to access care. Meanwhile, parents and youth live in fear, facing compounded attacks as families of color, those with mixed citizenship statuses, and poor or working-class households.
GLM believes in the power of direct action to amplify the demands of marginalized communities and to put fascistic leaders on notice. Drawing on a long history of actions at HHS, including those led by disabled communities, GLM follows the lineage of advocates demanding access to healthcare. Since the start of this latest Trump era, GLM has led actions like a bathroom sit-in at the U.S. Capitol, a public administration of hormone replacement therapy outside of the Supreme Court, and more. This blockade coincides with the end of the public comment period, with a goal to encourage trans communities and those who love and support them to flood the system with comments.
Though HHS’s proposed plan is slated for implementation, parents, providers, and activists have expressed commitment to continue to fight for care for trans youth. GLM commits to doing everything in its power to defend trans people. As we work with our communities to make it through another violent Trump administration, we will not and cannot preemptively comply when our community’s most vulnerable are under attack. We must defy hatred, powerfully organize, and build a society with gender liberation for every/body.
Gender Liberation Movement (GLM) is a national organization that builds direct action, media, and policy interventions centering bodily autonomy, self-determination, the pursuit of fulfillment, and collectivism in the face of gender-based attacks. Join the movement and donate at genderlib.org.
- A Perfect Match: Dana Captured Miguel’s Heart Decades Ago. Now She Has His Kidney Too. - April 9, 2026
- Honoring the Life of Frances Torres - April 9, 2026
- DeGette Calls for Impeachment Following the President’s Latest Threats to Iran - April 9, 2026
