Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest hospital networks, said it will “pause” gender-transition surgeries for those under 19, citing intense pressure from the Trump administration that has created “significant risks” for providers.
The health-care giant based in Oakland, California, said Wednesday that the halt on surgeries for minors would take effect Aug. 29, but stressed that all other “gender-affirming care treatment remains available.”
Such treatments would presumably include puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors, as well as gender-transition drugs and surgeries for those 19 and older.
“As the legal and regulatory environment for gender-affirming care continues to evolve, we must carefully consider the significant risks being created for health systems, clinicians, and patients under the age of 19 seeking this care,” Kaiser Permanente said in a statement provided to The Washington Times.
“After significant deliberation and consultation with internal and external experts including our physicians, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause surgical treatment for patients under the age of 19 in our hospitals and surgical centers,” the statement said.
The decision comes with healthcare providers increasingly abandoning “gender-affirming care” for minors in response to the Trump administration’s full-court press of executive orders, regulatory overhauls, and investigations.
The Center for Transyouth Health and Development at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest gender-transition clinics for minors, shut its doors Tuesday under mounting federal and legal pressure.
President Trump has directed federal agencies to take action to combat “gender-affirming care” for youth, spurring inquiries by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and regulations restricting coverage and increasing federal oversight.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced July 9 that 20 subpoenas had been sent to “doctors and clinics involved in performing transgender medical procedures on children.”
The subpoenas related to accusations of health-care fraud and false statements by providers.
Word of Kaiser’s decision to put the brakes on gender-transition surgeries for minors was broken online by gender-ideology critic Chris Elston, the Canadian activist known as “Billboard Chris.”
Mr. Elston cheered the move as “Another massive victory!”
He also warned that a “pause” essentially means “until the next Democrat is elected President.”
“We must keep the pressure on and continue to educate millions about the lies of gender ideology, and the abuse of child transition,” Mr. Elston said on his X account, which has 504,000 followers.
Another W.
— Sonja Shaw (@realSonjaShaw) July 23, 2025
Kaiser is HALTING all gender surgeries on minors.
Kids can’t consent to mutilation.
Blockers are next.
We’re not done.
Protect children. End the lies. https://t.co/JRW1EDt5sF pic.twitter.com/9gySyb300I
Kaiser said that it will “continue to meet with regulators as well as our clinicians, patients, their families, and the community with the goal of identifying a responsible path forward.”
“We recognize that this is an extremely challenging and stressful time for our patients seeking care, as well as for our clinicians whose mission is to care for them,” the Kaiser statement said. “We will work closely with each patient to support their care journey.”
Pushing back on Kaiser’s decision was California state Sen. Scott Wiener, who said that “denying care to trans kids is wrong and illegal.”
“Rule number one in fighting fascism is that bending the knee to a tyrant only invites more tyranny,” the San Francisco Democrat said in a statement. “It’s disappointing that some of our largest institutions keep losing [sight] of that proven fact.”
In addition to the federal pressure, Kaiser faces potentially significant legal jeopardy in the form of a lawsuit filed in 2023 by Chloe Cole, who had her breasts removed at age 15 after starting puberty blockers and testosterone at age 13.
Now a detransitioner, she has accused her health-care providers of pushing her and her parents into agreeing to gender-transition treatment without informing them of the long-term effects.
Kaiser is fighting the lawsuit.
Mark Trammell, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, which represents Ms. Cole, called Kaiser’s decision “a monumental step toward protecting vulnerable youth.”
“Kaiser’s pause affirms what our cases have repeatedly argued: children deserve protection from harmful medical practices promoted by radical gender ideology,” Mr. Trammell said in a statement. “Rest assured, the Center for American Liberty will not stop advocating for vulnerable kids.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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