NEW YORK (LifeSiteNews) — New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James told New York hospitals to ignore President Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) “Protecting children from chemical and surgical gender mutilation,” warning that if they comply they may be in violation of state law.
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The EO, which took effect on January 28, states that it “is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”
Hospitals that violate the EO risk losing billions of dollars in federal funding. Twenty-six states already have laws on the books restricting chemical and/or surgical “transitioning” procedures for minors.
At the same time, 17 states, including New York, have laws in place meant to protect transgender procedures for children.
Hospitals in Colorado, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and New York – which do not currently ban transgender interventions for minors – said last week that they have put so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors on hold as they “evaluate” Trump’s directive aimed at cutting federal support for such procedures, according to an Associated Press (AP) report.
While Trump’s order brought an immediate halt to the controversial practices in some jurisdictions, the New York attorney general has sought to defy it.
BREAKING: New York Attorney General Letitia James just issued a warning to NY hospitals not to comply with Trump’s EO to end “gender-affirming treatments” on children, claiming it could “violate state law.” pic.twitter.com/m9Jr8ncO00
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 3, 2025
In her letter to New York hospitals, James wrote, “Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York State laws, including those that prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their membership in a protected class, such as sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, military status, disability, or marital status.”
“Electing to refuse services to a class of individuals based on their protected status, such as withholding the availability of services from [self-professed] transgender individuals based on their gender identity or their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, while offering such services to cisgender individuals [people without gender confusion], is discrimination under New York law,” she claimed.
A blistering opinion piece published by the New York Post editorial board called out James for “pandering to a movement/ideology that’s rapidly being outed as fundamentally deceptive,” and for “using her official powers to try to boost her political career at New Yorkers’ expense.”
“If she had the courage of any convictions, James would be suing the feds, not the poor hospitals caught in the middle,” the Post board wrote.
The Board concluded by letting James know she had just made a serious misstep:
She even gets the political calculus wrong: Per a Siena (poll) last month, more New Yorkers back rescinding federal policies that recognize (self-identified) transgender Americans than oppose it (47%-40%).
That is, this deep-blue state is on Trump’s side, not James’: If she can’t learn to read the room better, she’s going to pander her way out (of) office.
The same poll found President Trump to be enjoying far greater popularity in the Empire State than Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul.
James, who has famously employed outrageous “lawfare” against President Trump, has long been a champion of unrestricted abortion and a foe of pro-life efforts, including pregnancy centers and activists. She has also joined forces with New York City’s main LGBT organization, known as “the Center,” to sponsor a drag story hour aimed at families and children.