The hospital’s halt follows an executive order issued by President Trump banning gender-affirming medical care for minors.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Seattle Children’s Hospital on Saturday, protesting the hospital’s decision to suspend gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth.
The hospital’s move follows an executive order issued by President Trump banning gender-affirming medical care for minors.
Chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, restricting care has got to go!” echoed through the crowd, as protestors voiced their concerns about the potential harm to trans youth.
Alex, an organizer of the protest and an employee at Seattle Children’s, expressed shock at the hospital’s decision.
“Some of our employees found out about them canceling the surgeries, gender-affirming surgeries, and were just flabbergasted,” Alex said. “That’s not what Seattle Children’s stands for.”
The executive order prohibits gender-affirming medical treatments for individuals under 19, including puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and certain surgical procedures. Critics argue that this puts transgender youth at significant risk.
“That’s putting kids’ lives in danger. That’s hurting them, actively,” Alex emphasized.
Protesters are demanding that the hospital immediately resume gender-affirming surgeries and publicly reaffirm its support for transgender healthcare.
“We demand that they immediately restart providing gender-affirming care by surgery or by whatever else a provider deems is necessary and good for their patient,” Alex added. “We demand that Seattle Children’s does not do this again, they did not need to comply with the executive order immediately.”
This marks the third consecutive protest outside Seattle Children’s Hospital since Thursday, with demonstrators pledging to continue their efforts until the hospital reinstates the procedures.
Eve, another protester, emphasized the hospital’s duty to provide gender-affirming care.
“They have a responsibility to care for these children. They have a responsibility to deliver evidence-based care, and that’s why we’re out here,” Eve said.
In a statement to KING 5, Seattle Children’s Hospital said: “Seattle Children’s is supporting the Washington State Attorney General’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in response to President Trump’s January 28th Executive Order directing federal agencies to revoke funding for institutions providing gender-affirming care (GAC) to minors.”
A hearing has been set in federal court in the Western District of Washington for Feb. 14.
By Bridget Chavez – king5.com