Los Angeles’ top children’s hospital is shutting down its transgender clinic in direct response to President Trump’s executive order cutting federal funding for youth gender transitions, marking a significant victory for those concerned about irreversible medical procedures on minors.
Key Takeaways
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will close its Center for Transyouth Health and Development by July 2025, citing “significant external pressures” from federal policy changes.
- President Trump’s executive order restricting federal funding for gender transitions in those under 19 heavily influenced the decision, as the hospital relies on government funding for two-thirds of its budget.
- The closure comes amid growing legal challenges, including a high-profile lawsuit from a former patient alleging she was rushed into irreversible procedures as a minor without proper consent.
- Medical research indicates over 80% of children with gender dysphoria naturally outgrow it by late adolescence, raising serious questions about permanent medical interventions.
- Financial motives behind gender transition procedures have been exposed, with some medical professionals admitting these treatments “make a lot of money” for healthcare facilities.
Trump Policy Forces Major Gender Clinic Closure
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has announced it will permanently shut down its Center for Transyouth Health and Development by July 22, 2025. The decision follows President Trump’s executive order restricting federal aid for gender transitions in youth under 19 years old. Hospital executives acknowledged that the closure “follows a lengthy and thorough assessment of the increasingly severe impacts of federal administrative actions and proposed policies” that created operational, legal, and financial risks the institution simply couldn’t withstand. The center was one of the few facilities in the nation providing comprehensive gender treatments for youth, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures.
The hospital’s vulnerable financial position made it particularly susceptible to changes in federal funding streams. CHLA relies on government support for nearly two-thirds of its operating budget and could only survive approximately 50 days without federal funding. While hospital administrators initially paused hormone treatments after Trump’s executive order took effect, they temporarily reversed course after facing backlash from activists. However, the long-term financial reality eventually forced their hand, leading to the permanent closure announcement that has been celebrated by child protection advocates nationwide.
Here is the complete copy of the email that Children's Hospital Los Angeles leadership sent out explaining why thy were shutting down their pediatric gender clinic:
Dear CHLA Team Members,
We are writing to share an important and profoundly difficult update. CHLA has determined… https://t.co/NMzFCIQbVY— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 13, 2025
Legal Challenges and Growing Medical Concerns
The closure comes amid mounting legal troubles for the clinic and its practitioners. A high-profile lawsuit has been filed against Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy and other CHLA staff by a former patient who alleges she was rushed into irreversible transgender procedures as a minor without proper informed consent. This case represents just one of a growing number of “detransitioners” who report substantial physical and psychological harm from what they describe as hasty medical interventions performed when they were too young to fully understand the permanent consequences.
“In the end, this painful and difficult decision was driven by the need to safeguard CHLA’s ability to operate amid significant external pressures beyond our control,” stated a hospital email to staff.
Medical research increasingly challenges the prevailing “gender-affirming” approach to treating minors experiencing gender dysphoria. Studies indicate that over 80% of children with gender dysphoria naturally outgrow these feelings by late adolescence if allowed to progress through normal puberty without medical intervention. This data has raised serious concerns about performing permanent, life-altering procedures on minors who may likely have resolved their gender confusion naturally with appropriate mental health support instead of irreversible medical interventions.
Financial Incentives Behind Gender Medicine Exposed
The closure of CHLA’s gender clinic also brings renewed attention to the financial motivations driving the pediatric gender medicine industry. Critics have long suspected that profit incentives play a significant role in promoting these treatments to vulnerable children and families. These suspicions were confirmed in a 2022 exposé involving Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where physicians were recorded discussing the financial benefits of performing gender-related surgeries and treatments.
“These surgeries make a lot of money,” admitted Dr. Shayne Sebold Taylor in recorded comments about gender transition procedures.
While California Attorney General Rob Bonta insisted that “California law has not changed, and hospitals and clinics have a legal obligation to provide equal access to healthcare services,” the practical reality of operating without federal funding made continuing these controversial services impossible for CHLA. The hospital stated it would attempt to reassign affected employees to other departments within the institution. This closure represents a significant victory for child protection advocates who have long argued against performing experimental and irreversible medical procedures on minors experiencing the normal confusion of adolescence.
