More than 200 clinicians from across New York State penned an open letter calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to immediately sign legislation into law that would strengthen the state’s shield laws to protect both providers and patients of gender-affirming care from out-of-state prosecution at a time when providers have faced hostility from the Trump administration and dozens of states have moved to restrict care for trans youth.
“Since January 2025, we have been doing everything we can to counter the relentless wave of federal and state-level actions seeking to restrict, defund, criminalize, and ban gender-affirming care,” stated the letter, which was addressed to the governor. “But the truth is, our current tools are not enough; without stronger legal protections, our patients, and the care they depend on remain at risk.”
Legislation to address the issue was carried by two out gay lawmakers — State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal of Manhattan and Assemblymember Harry Bronson of Rochester — and passed both houses of the State Legislature in mid-June, just as the legislative session wound down. The law would broaden protections to cover all professionals involved in providing gender-affirming care; ban any cooperation with out-of-state probes or subpoenas tied to gender-affirming care; extend power to the attorney general to defend providers facing legal threats from other states; and make sure parents or guardians of youth receiving gender-affirming care are not targeted by other states.
The Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul did not respond to a request for comment by deadline, but a spokesperson later emailed Gay City News to say the governor “will review the legislation.”
The letter to the governor was spearheaded by a coalition known as Trans Health Advocates of NY, which includes organizations like Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, New York Civil Liberties Union, Empire Justice Center, NEW Pride Agenda, and Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts. The letter was signed by 246 individuals from across the state, including those in parts of New York City, Albany, Long Island, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Ulster County, and Oneonta.
On July 21, Bronson joined advocates from across the state at his district office in Rochester to call on the governor to sign the legislation.
“The Trump Administration is attempting to take us back in time by removing rights that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support,” Bronson said. “Last year, voters clarified this when they passed the Equal Rights Amendment, codifying protections for gender affirming care and reproductive choice into our State constitution. As Assembly Labor Chair and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, my priority is ensuring that New Yorker’s health, safety, and personal choice are protected by state law. New Yorkers have made it clear that, despite what’s happening at the federal level, we are moving towards a more equitable and just future, anchored by a strong middle class, where individual liberties and freedoms are respected.”
Multiple New York City-based hospitals cancelled appointments or otherwise withheld gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19 earlier this year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to bar the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19. The order also called on the Health and Human Services secretary to “take all appropriate actions to end” gender-affirming care, “including regulatory and sub-regulatory actions.” The order has been tied up in legal proceedings, however, with federal courts on both coasts blocking the president’s executive order.
The clinicians who delivered the letter are eager for the governor to sign the legislation before the legal landscape becomes even more precarious.
“While we remain deeply grateful for the protections New York State has already enacted, we implore you to act without further delay,” the letter added. “The strengthened shield laws represent a vital reinforcement of New York’s commitment to safe, accessible, and evidence-based care for all.”
Underscoring the urgency of the issue, the letter cited examples of the Trump administration’s aggressive attacks on gender-affirming care, especially for youth, including the news that the Justice Department subpoenaed “more than 20” providers of youth gender-affirming care in a move that targeted doctors and clinics.
“New York took an important step in 2023 by enacting shield laws to protect gender-affirming healthcare providers, patients, and their families, building on earlier efforts to safeguard reproductive health access in the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision,” the letter noted. “Yet, critical gaps remain, and they are already being exploited to investigate and intimidate providers.”
