Pelosi Pledges to Push for Gender-Affirming Care at the “National Level”
San Francisco, August 7, 2025 – At the San Francisco VA Medical Center, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled renewed determination in the fight to restore gender-affirming care for transgender youth across the U.S. Confronted with growing restrictions and outright bans in numerous states, Pelosi declared:
“That is something I’m working for at the national level, and we are hoping we can have gender-affirming care for our trans kids”.
Pelosi framed the situation as deeply troubling, noting opposition in Congress and the White House, yet underscored her commitment: “It’s a sad thing for us… I don’t know what effect we can have nationally …”. Ever the symbolic ally, she also mentioned that a transgender pride flag flies outside her office, a gesture mirrored by several of her colleagues.
Her remarks come amid escalating federal pressure, particularly under a Trump administration push to curtail gender-affirming services for minors by threatening defunding and legal penalties.
A coalition of Democratic-led states has responded by filing a lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court. They argue that executive orders and Justice Department memos effectively criminalize gender-affirming care and pose unconstitutional overreach. Earlier in the week, a related lawsuit was filed by seventeen state leaders, including attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania, contesting unlawful coercion tactics used to strip care from trans youth even in states where it remains legal.
The ripple effect of federal actions has been swift. The Trump administration’s healthcare mandate, which includes a proposed rule to condition federal Medicare and Medicaid payments on hospitals excluding gender-affirming treatments like hormone therapy and puberty blockers, has placed dozens of medical institutions in jeopardy. In response, major institutions such as Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have already either scaled back or ceased gender-related medical services for minors, citing mounting legal and regulatory risks.
