New York City is expanding access to gender-affirming care with a new $15 million investment aimed at protecting transgender New Yorkers, even as the Trump administration continues targeting transition-related healthcare for minors nationwide.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the funding will support three new initiatives: a direct gender-affirming care access fund, a dedicated call and text line connecting transgender residents with healthcare resources, and increased funding for LGBTQ+ healthcare research.
“Every New Yorker should have the freedom to live as themselves and access the health care they need,” Mamdani says. “As the federal government attacks transgender people and attempts to intimidate patients, families and providers, New York City is stepping up. We will protect care, support the providers delivering it, and make clear that trans New Yorkers belong in this city.”
The announcement comes as legal battles over transgender healthcare continue to unfold. Earlier this month, New York City filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit against NYU Langone Health after the United States Department of Justice subpoened medical records of transgender patients who received gender-affirming care as minors between 2020 and 2026. A federal judge has since temporarily blocked the subpoena.
The hospital system had already drawn criticism earlier this year after ending its gender-affirming care program for transgender youth, citing the “current regulatory environment.” The decision prompted backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates, including the Gender Liberation Movement, which called on NYC Pride to bar healthcare systems that stopped providing care to trans minors from participating in Pride events.
Despite those calls, organizers ultimately allowed both NYU Langone Health and Mount Sinai Health System to march, saying their LGBTQ+ employee groups should not be penalized for leadership decisions.
Justin E. Sanchez, co-chair of the City Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus, praised the mayor’s announcement, calling it “the best news that we’ve heard all Pride Month.”
As New York City finalizes its budget, the investment signals a sharp contrast to federal efforts to restrict transgender healthcare, positioning the city as one of the nation’s strongest defenders of access to gender-affirming care.
Phot courtesy of social media
