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A political battle over transgender healthcare has left some Virginia families scrambling to secure care for their children. Following an聽from President Donald Trump, three Virginia hospitals paused gender-affirming care for minors, leaving patients in limbo. But now, after a federal judge blocked the order, at least one hospital is resuming services 鈥� while others remain on hold.
The University of Virginia鈥檚 hospital has restarted gender-affirming care for patients under 19, but in Richmond, VCU Health鈥檚 pause remains in place. A spokesperson for Children鈥檚 Hospital of the King鈥檚 Daughters in Norfolk did not respond to questions for comment.
鈥淲e are reviewing the order to determine an appropriate course of action,鈥� VCU Health communications director Danielle Pierce said in an email Friday. 鈥�(The hospital鈥檚) doors have remained open, and will continue to be open, to all patients and their families for screening, counseling and all health care needs not affected by the executive order.鈥�
Advocacy groups are calling for immediate action. Equality Virginia, alongside various LGBTQ+ organizations, signed a joint letter urging hospitals to resume care for minors.
鈥淰irginians deserve health care that is rooted in medical integrity, legal protections, and ethical responsibility, not political expediency,鈥� they wrote.
Meanwhile, families are struggling to navigate the uncertainty.
Sen. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, the first and only openly transgender member of Virginia鈥檚 General Assembly, said she鈥檚 been in touch with families trying to switch providers before their children鈥檚 medication runs out.
鈥淜ids and families have been made to panic for weeks,鈥� Roem said.
As hospitals around聽Virginia navigate the fallout from聽Trump鈥檚 late-January order, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares wasted no time pushing for compliance.
He sent a聽to UVA Health and VCU Health advising them to halt gender-affirming care for minors immediately. By early February, CHKD followed suit, announcing it would聽聽those services.
For Norfolk resident Lisa Suhay,聽the policy change is deeply frustrating.听While her聽21-year-old聽transgender daughter isn鈥檛 directly affected, she鈥檚 concerned聽for families who are now left scrambling 鈥� and for hospitals caught in the political crosshairs.
鈥淎 goal of (Trump鈥檚) administration is to drive wedges between our medical communities and the public,鈥� Suhay said. 鈥淏y forcing hospitals to make these brutal decisions, they achieve that goal.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 order, which is temporarily blocked as legal challenges play out, directs federal agencies to ensure that institutions receiving federal research or education grants聽鈥�end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.鈥�
While Suhay said she believes hospitals should resist the order, she acknowledges the difficult position they鈥檙e in, as defying it could mean losing federal funding.
鈥淭he parents who are shouting 鈥榶ou need to resist for the sake of my child鈥� still need to have a hospital for their kid to go to if they break an arm or have cancer,鈥� she said.
