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Elliot Page calls on New York hospitals to restore trans youth healthcare

Elliot Page calls on New York hospitals to restore trans youth healthcare
Imago

Actor and LGBTQ+ campaigner Elliot Page has called on several New York hospital systems to resume gender-affirming care for trans young people, accusing them of bowing to political pressure from the Trump administration. 

The Umbrella Academy star joined protesters outside NYU Langone Health in New York City on 23 September, where campaigners gathered to oppose the hospital's decision to discontinue gender-affirming care for minors. The demonstration was organised alongside the Gender Liberation Movement, with Page later appearing in a video shared on Instagram urging healthcare providers to reverse course. 

In the video, Page described the changes as part of a "coordinated assault on health care", arguing that transgender young people and their families have been disproportionately affected by recent policy decisions. He linked the issue to broader healthcare cuts in the United States and criticised efforts to restrict access to trans-specific medical care. 

Page said hospitals including NYU Langone, Mount Sinai and New York Presbyterian had provided care for transgender young people for many years before ending or scaling back services amid pressure from federal authorities. He argued that healthcare providers had "caved" to threats from the US Department of Justice despite support for gender-affirming care from New York state and city officials. 

The actor also defended gender-affirming treatment as evidence-based healthcare supported by major medical organisations.

"One day, many will look back on all of this and say, 'We should have known better'," Page said in the video. "But we do know better, right now, that denying this care hurts children and leads to increased depression and worse."  Page further warned that restricting access to healthcare could have serious consequences for trans young people, citing research showing that anti-trans legislation is associated with worsening mental health outcomes. 

The intervention comes after several major US hospitals faced scrutiny from the Trump administration over the provision of gender-affirming care to minors. In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to prioritise action against providers offering such care, leading to investigations and funding threats against some healthcare institutions. 

Page has joined campaigners in urging hospitals to restore services, meet with affected families and reaffirm their support for transgender young people seeking medical care.

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