State leaders are condemning what they call "pressure" from the federal government as Children's Hospital pauses its gender-affirming care services.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says that this type of care remains legal under Minnesota's trans refuge laws, and confirmed that his office is currently litigating against federal declarations aimed at penalizing providers.
"My office has been holding this administration accountable in court nearly every day," Ellison says. "We will do it again and again, every single time, including and especially when it comes to our transgender youth."
The resolution of this pause now hinges on a critical March 6 court hearing, where a judge's ruling on the federal declaration will determine if Children's Minnesota can safely resume its full scope of services without the risk of losing vital funding.
Executive Director of Transforming Families Minnesota Hannah Edwards says that the sudden suspension of services has left dozens of families who recently relocated to Minnesota for medical safety in a state of uncertainty.
"I'm tired, one youth said to her parents when they learned about this pause in care," Edwards explains. "They're tired because this is just another institution which has determined it's too hard to continue to care and support for them, said their parent. I want everyone to think about just how much our trans children have faced in this last year from the federal government."
She says that even a temporary gap in care can force patients into three-month waiting lists at alternative clinics, straining the state's existing health care infrastructure.
On Tuesday, Children's Minnesota released the following statement:
"As one of the leading pediatric providers of gender-affirming care in the region, we have recently experienced an increase in federal actions directed at health systems like ours that provide this care. These actions jeopardize the stability of Minnesota’s only comprehensive pediatric health care system, and they threaten our clinicians’ ability to practice medicine now and in the future. If conditions remain the same, we plan to temporarily pause prescribing puberty-suppressing medications and pubertal hormones (estrogen and testosterone) for patients under age 18 in our Gender Health program, effective Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.
Our Gender Health program is not closed. We continue to provide supportive care, mental health services and guidance regarding medical and non-medical treatment options. If you have an appointment with us, it is not canceled. Please keep your appointment to discuss any needed adjustments to your care plan.
We understand this change will have a significant impact on our patients and families. If you have questions about your child’s care, need more information, or require additional resources, please contact us.
Despite this difficult decision, Children’s Minnesota remains committed to advocating for the patients and families and stand firmly behind the fact that gender affirming care is evidence-based and lifesaving for transgender and gender diverse youth."