“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.”

“The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into whether the San Francisco Unified School District’s ethnic studies curriculum required students ‘to reveal intimate details about themselves and their families without parental consent or knowledge.’

“At the heart of the investigation is an exercise in the mandatory high school course involving an ‘identity wheel’ which asks students to consider personal characteristics such as sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and economic status. The exercise is intended to help students examine how those characteristics relate to privilege and disadvantage.

“The Department of Education is also investigating whether the Palo Alto and North Monterey County school districts properly ‘notify parents and obtain their written consent’ before surveying students about the protected information as part of their ethnic studies programs.”

“The SFUSD class debuted in 2010 as an elective for high school freshmen. It is now a requirement for graduation and has become the subject of fierce debate in San Francisco. For years, the district used a homegrown curriculum but replaced it for the current school year with a new version, called ‘Voices,’ after a contentious selection process. Critics, including Mayor Daniel Lurie, had said the previous version was too divisive and promoted an activist agenda.

“‘As a school district that celebrates our diversity and inclusivity, we must provide an educational experience for every student that honors their lived experiences and the District’s core values,’ Maria Su, the SFUSD superintendent, said previously. ‘I’ve heard the concerns about our ethnic studies curriculum, and I am committed to addressing concerns.’

“The district is also the subject of a Department of Justice investigation, launched in June, that is examining its compliance with Title IX. The DOJ is reviewing if parents are informed about the pronouns their children use at school and whether parents are able to remove their children from instruction if they want to opt out. Access to bathrooms and locker rooms, and the participation of trans athletes on girls teams, are other areas under federal review.”

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.

“The acquittal of a man charged in the 2018 killing of Dejanay Stanton has renewed calls for accountability and greater protections for Chicago’s Black transgender community.

“A Cook County jury on Oct. 23 found Tremon Hill, 25, not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Stanton, a 24-year-old Black transgender woman who was fatally shot in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood on Aug. 30, 2018.”

“Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Equality Illinois and a longtime transgender advocate who joined calls for justice in 2018, said she was shocked by the verdict.

“‘This is a message being sent out that your safety, your body and above all, your justice is not a priority for us,’ Parker said.

“Parker said advocates are planning a gathering this week to renew demands for justice, building on demonstrations held after Stanton’s death in 2018. She urged community members to attend and show their support for Stanton’s family.”