Protecting Trans Young People’s Right to Access Gender-Affirming Care

Essentia Didn’t Just Disregard the Law. It Abandoned Its Patients.

When Essentia abruptly ceased gender-affirming care for trans youth, it went against medical best-practices and put patients in harm’s way.

Every major medical and mental health organization in the United States supports access to gender-affirming care for youth. And consistency is critical for successful care. If patients are undergoing treatment involving gender-affirming hormones or a hormone suppressant and suddenly lose access to these treatments, this can result in symptoms of depression, hot flashes, headaches, or a spike in blood pressure that increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. Cessation of gender-affirming care also has well-documented mental health consequences, including heightened anxiety and risk of suicidality. 

These fears were front of mind for Jane Doe when she learned that Essentia was refusing to provide her 16-year-old son with gender-affirming care  — care he had been receiving at Essentia for years and which had allowed him to grow into a confident, thriving teenager. 

“Parents should never have to fear for their child’s life, safety, and happiness because of discrimination. This has caused much suffering for our family.”

Jane Doe

Jane Doe received this devastating news not from her provider, or from an official communication from Essentia, but instead through word-of-mouth in her community. This was an experience shared by other impacted Essentia patients and families. 

Nobody should receive a major health care access update ‘through the grapevine.’ Essentia’s failure to communicate with families wasn’t just cruel. It put patients at increased risk by creating confusion and giving families a limited timeline within which to find alternative providers. 

This is About More Than One Family.

Essentia was the largest gender-affirming care provider in Northern Minnesota, and also regularly served patients who traveled in from eastern North Dakota (where there is a state ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth) and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. By abruptly ceasing this care, Essentia didn’t just send Jane Doe’s family into a tailspin, scrambling to maintain access to life-preserving medical care. It impacted an entire region where alternative providers are limited, and in some cases, non-existent.

Through this case, we’re working to ensure Minnesotans and their neighbors have access to the health care and rights they are entitled to under the law. As politically-motivated bans on gender-affirming care for trans young people rise across the country, and hospitals nationwide pre-comply to federal pressure to deny services to trans patients, Minnesota is standing firm in our laws and values. Every young person deserves an equal chance to thrive. And every institution and community member must do our part to make that happen.

How You Can Help:

Help us spread the word: Gender-affirming care for trans youth is legal and protected in Minnesota. It is a violation of Minnesota law to single out trans youth to deny them health care. And when discrimination occurs, we will proactively defend our laws and our communities. 

At Gender Justice, we are proud to fight alongside LGBTQ+ youth and their families to ensure every young person can access the care, safety, and joy they deserve. Your support allows us to take on cases like this one in Minnesota and North Dakota. Thank you.

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