“The US Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said the New York Attorney General's Office is blocking one of the state's largest hospital networks from complying with a subpoena in a federal investigation ‌involving gender-affirming care for transgender children.

“The filing in Manhattan federal court involving Mount Sinai Hospitals Group sets up another showdown over lawspassed by many Democratic-led states shielding healthcare providers from out-of-state legal action involving abortion or transgender care.

“The FTC said Mount Sinai, which it called ‘an innocent party,’ agreed last month to comply with the subpoena related to the agency's lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). The nonprofit is accused of making misleading statements about the benefits of gender-affirming treatment, which it denies.

“But the ⁠office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, told Mount Sinai ‘out of the blue’ that under the state's 2023 shield law, it was required to wait at least 30 days to respond to the subpoena and obtain an affidavit from the FTC stating that it would not take any legal action against the hospital operator.”

“The commission has subpoenaed at least seven other hospital networks across the country in the case against WPATH, which is part of broader efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to curtail access to gender-affirming care.”

“The case is FTC v. Mount Sinai Hospitals Group, US District ⁠Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 1:26-mc-00532.”

From the article:

"Why are therapists named in a surgery ban?"

"Proposition 135 is being sold as a narrow ban on gender surgery for minors. But if you read the actual text, one detail stands out. The measure’s definition of “healthcare professional” includes dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, pharmacists, physical therapists, psychologists and mental health therapists."

"None of these people perform gender surgery."
"So why is the list so long? Because the measure doesn’t ban specific procedures. It bans care given “in response to a minor’s perception of sex or gender.” No patient, parent, or provider can be confident what that phrase covers. It is simply too broad."

"Imagine you’re an orthodontist or a physical therapist and you think your 15-year-old patient could be transgender. Is it worth risking a complaint against your license to find out where the line is? The easiest way to avoid that risk is to stop seeing trans kids altogether. Even the state’s nonpartisan voter guide warns that providers may cut back the care they offer for fear of legal consequences."

"That is what Proposition 135 really does. It doesn’t just stop surgeries. Instead, it makes trans youth unwelcome in ordinary exam rooms and healthcare offices: for braces, for a sprained ankle, for an eye exam, for mental health therapy. A family that needs to find care for their child shouldn’t have to wonder whether a therapist, optometrist, or dentist will turn their child away."

"Vote “no” on Proposition 135."

Hinson also praised a federal judge’s ruling in Kentucky that blocked Democratic President Joe Biden’s effort to expand protections for transgender students and make other changes to the rules governing sex discrimination in schools by expanding the definition of Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.

“A recent campaign ad about transgender rights from Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek is getting backlash from a Statehouse colleague and others in the LGBTQ community.

“Iowa Democratic State Representative Aime Wichtendahl said the ad is disappointing. Wichtendahl is the first transgender person elected to the state legislature and worked with Turek last session.

“‘You don’t need to throw people under the bus to win elections. The plain fact is that these talking points don’t win elections. These talking points aren’t going to gain you anything with the voters,’ Wichtendahl said.

“In the ad, Turek says he opposes allowing biological males to play girls’ sports and opposes federal funding for gender transition surgery.”

“Wichtendahl said Democratic candidates should focus on the cost of living instead of alienating people on transgender issues.”

“Wichtendahl said if Turek wins, she plans to hold him accountable.

“‘If he is elected, I will spend every single day holding his feet to the fire, reminding him that equality is not negotiable,’ Wichtendahl said.

“Wichtendahl said she has already voted early for Turek.”

“Some Democrats are fired up to use their potential majorities in Congress next year and undo President Donald Trump’s attacks on transgender Americans. Others just want to focus on the cost of gas.”

“‘We need to have an affirmative platform that protects and expands rights for LGBTQ people,’ said Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey in an interview.

“He is among nearly a dozen lawmakers and advocates who said they want Democrats to pursue a two-pronged approach: pass legislation to codify certain rights for trans individuals, and use committee gavels to compel public testimony from Trump officials on their efforts to undermine protections for trans and nonbinary people.

“But the need to tackle affordability, not culture war fights, has been the overriding theme of the Democrats’ push to retake control of Congress. Many Democrats believe that their promise to lower the cost of living will be the reason they win back majorities in the House or the Senate.”

“In terms of legislation, Democrats are sure to encounter limitations so long as long as Trump is in office. The president is opposed to the cornerstone piece of LGBTQ+ advocates’ agenda, the Equality Act, which would amend civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit gender identity discrimination. It might not even have the votes to overcome a Senate filibuster and get to Trump’s desk.

“Democrats likewise are sure to run into resistance in trying to attach pro-transgender policies to must-pass legislative vehicles, such as government spending bills or the annual defense policy package. The same goes for any attempts to overrule or modify the administration’s suggested changes to the 2030 Census, which include a proposal to remove questions about sexual orientation.”

“Advocates argue that issues of gender identity and equality are, in fact, pocketbook issues and cannot be simply shunted aside.

“‘When you are putting in place, for example, policies that say that you can’t get a driver’s license that accurately reflects who you are, or that you can’t use a public restroom, what you are telling people is they can’t work, they can’t hold a job or participate in the public life of our country,’ the ACLU’s [Ian] Thompson said. ‘Those have very significant economic consequences.’

“Several senior House Democrats — Minority Whip Katherine Clark, the No. 2 leader, Rep. Ted Lieu of California, the No. 4 leader, and Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Rules Committee Democrat — said much the same in interviews.

“‘If we are telling people that we no longer value equality in this country, it’s really hard to build a fair economy,’ Clark said. ‘You can’t silo these issues out.’”