Stanford Medicine Halts Gender Surgeries for Minors

STANFORD, CA — Stanford Medicine announced on June 25 that it has ceased offering gender-related surgical procedures for minors under 19, effective June 2, following a review of federal directives and consultations with its LGBTQ+ program.

This decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s January 28 executive order, “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which bans federal support for transgender interventions for minors. The move follows Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’s closure of its "Transyouth Center," making Stanford the second major California provider to halt such services.

The decision comes amid legal battles, with federal courts in Washington and Maryland issuing injunctions against Trump’s order, though appeals are pending. The Department of Health and Human Services also terminated $477 million in grants, some tied to transgender care, per a White House report.

California AG Rob Bonta warned that halting such services could violate state anti-discrimination laws, but a recent Supreme Court ruling upheld Tennessee’s ban on similar procedures, rejecting claims of discrimination.

Erin Friday, president of Our Duty, praised Stanford’s move but urged broader cessation of all transgender interventions for youth, citing insufficient scientific backing. Finnish expert Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala noted that 80% of children with gender dysphoria outgrow it, supporting therapeutic approaches over irreversible procedures.

Read also