Rob AriasEmeryville was the site of a protest on Monday afternoon to draw attention to a pending decision by Sutter Health to end gender-affirming, medical care for patients under 19 years old.
Approximately 150 supporters turned out for the protest organized by Rainbow Families Action, holding signs reading “Get off our backs and let us live,” “Trans Kids deserve to live and thrive” and “Healthcare by doctors, not dictators.”
The Federal Administration — as well as several individual states — have already moved to ban gender-related surgical procedures on minors. Now they are looking to restrict the use of non-surgical treatments like hormones and puberty blockers. They are pushing for compliance by healthcare providers like Sutter by threatening financial repercussions such as withholding Medicaid and Medicare funding for any services at hospitals that provide this form of care. The loss of this revenue would be severe to these providers as an estimated half of their inpatient days were covered by these public programs.
Trans-Rights advocates have been irked by somewhat vague communication by Sutter on its intentions to continue to provide this non-surgical care in the wake of Federal mandates often getting updates second-hand by caregivers.
“Like other health systems locally and across the country, we are working to ensure compliance with recent federal actions and other developments affecting the provision of gender-affirming care only for patients under 19,” a Sutter Spokesperson provided in November. “We remain committed to approaching this with compassion, physician guidance, and compliance with applicable requirements.”
Stanford Healthcare has already paused these non-surgical treatments for minors. Kaiser has yet to publicly address their intentions.
These non-surgical treatments can be prohibitively expensive for patients with estimated out-of-pocket costs ranging from $5,000-$40,000 annually depending on the treatment.
Parents and allies have rallied in support of the care that they attest is critical to the well-being of trans-youth. “Our children rely on consistent, affirming care to live healthy, stable, hopeful lives,” a coalition of LGBTQ supporters penned in a letter sent to Sutter leadership. “To just end that care, without warning, is unconscionably cruel. It is a breach of trust, a violation of medical ethics, and a direct threat to our kids’ mental health and safety.”
These pending decisions have provoked these groups to unite and take action to draw awareness to their plight including Monday’s highly-visible protest in Emeryville.
The group of protesters assembled at Bay Street’s plaza, traversed Christie Ave to Powell Street and marched west on Powell to The Towers complex where Sutter leases office space. Here, speakers including openly transgender Bishop Megan Rohrer, and drag-performer/activist Honey Mahogany rallied the crowd of supporters.
Local leaders like State Senator Scott Wiener and Attorney General Rob Bonta have publicly expressed support for health care providers to defy federal mandates and continue offering these treatments.
“I’m deeply disappointed that Sutter has made this harmful decision,” Wiener in a press release affirming support of Trans Youth. “Medical experts agree overwhelmingly that parents and young people, in consultation with their physicians, should have access to pursue this care if they choose — the alternative is a crisis of depression, addiction, and suicide among trans youth.
The California Legislature passed local protections including coverage mandates and anti-discrimination provisions in 2022. Wiener authored the “Transgender-Inclusive Health Care Act” that was passed into California law in 2022.
Bonta’s Attorney General office has stood firm on the issue and issued guidelines to reinforce California’s legal stance on the matter.
Following the protest, Sutter updated their official statement to confirm they had ceased gender-affirming surgical procedures but did not directly address non-surgical treatments.
“In this evolving landscape, Sutter-aligned physicians are engaging directly with their patients to have open and thoughtful conversations and to determine individual care plans that will meet anticipated requirements. Gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 had previously ceased, and we continue to support careful, patient-centered discussions with appropriate resources and guidance.”
This battle is likely to be amplified as we approach what is expected to be contentious mid-term elections in 2026. Scott Wiener, who is running for Nancy Pelosi’s congressional seat, has made this fight an integral part of his platform and seems poised to bring this issue into the national debate.
“MAGA is scapegoating LGBTQ youth to distract from Trump’s complete failure to improve the cost of living for working people, and California health providers should stand firm against Trump’s bigotry,” Wiener included in his statement. “Ending this care is a mistake that will harm the health of LGBTQ young people, and Sutter should reverse this decision.”
Sutter’s presence in Emeryville is expected to grow exponentially with plans announced for a 200 bed hospital campus at the former Emery Yards project in the center of the city.
I’m grateful for everyone who showed up. I wish it was at a time when I could’ve joined in. Thanks everyone for standing up for some of the most vulnerable among us!
I was Alta Bates ER and the medical care was fine. The administrative personnel were terrible.