Kaiser Permanente to halt surgery for trans youth in Caliornia, citing federal pressure

Molly Gibbs, The Sacramento Bee on Jul 24, 2025

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Kaiser Permanente will pause gender-affirming surgeries for patients 18 and under starting Aug. 29, the health care group confirmed Thursday.

“Since January, there has been significant focus by the federal government on gender-affirming care, specifically for patients under the age of 19,” Kaiser said in a statement on its decision.

Kaiser, which serves 4.6 million people in Northern California, cited executive orders, hospital inquiries and regulatory changes as driving factors of its decision.

The health care company also said the re-evaluation of the care it provides came after the U.S. Department of Justice slammed doctors and clinics providing gender-affirming care to trans youth with 20 subpoenas. The action was part of an ongoing federal investigation by the DOJ.

In a July 9 statement announcing the subpoenas, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said her department would hold medical professionals and organizations performing gender-affirming care accountable.

Davis-based anti-trans activist Beth Bourne and activist group Sac Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist Central are among those celebrating the announcement on social media.

“Kaiser has been one of the biggest whales we’ve gone after here in California, and this is such a relief!” Sac TERF said on X about the change. “We still want them to atone and pay for what they’ve done to far too many children.”

In its statement, Kaiser clarified that non-surgical gender-affirming treatments for youth, such as hormone therapy, and surgery treatments for those 19 and older will remain available.

“We will remain a voice and advocate for safe, high-quality, and evidence-based care for transgender patients,” Kaiser said.

While anti-trans activists celebrated the news, some in the California Legislature were quick to condemn it.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, called on Kaiser to stand up to federal demands and the administration’s “war on trans people.”

“Trump has declared war on trans people and trans kids and their families in particular,” Wiener said in a post on X Wednesday night.

“Now is the time to have these kids’ and these families’ backs, not to fold under pressure from the most homophobic and transphobic Administration in modern history.”

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