Federal Court Decision On Trans Youth Care Leave Some In Limbo.

This story has been updated with recent statements and policies.
Updated Feb. 17, 2025 10:27 a.m.
Original story published Feb. 10, 2025 4:49 p.m.

In a turn of events, Prisma Community Care, formerly known as Southwest Center for HIV and AIDS, started resuming gender-affirming care just a week after cutting its program due to a federal executive order.

The decision came after a federal court blocked the order issued by President Donald Trump in January that banned gender-affirming healthcare—specifically puberty blockers, surgeries, and hormone treatments—to people under 19 years old.

That executive order had an immediate effect in Arizona: last week, LOOKOUT reported how Phoenix Children’s Hospital quietly removed a portion of its transgender care services. The same day of that report, LOOKOUT also learned that Prisma Community Care—one of Arizona’s oldest and largest LGBTQ+ clinics—had done the same in order to comply with their federal grants and contracts.

But where Prisma has reversed its decision with the aid of the federal court's decision, Phoenix Children's Hospital has remained quiet on their next steps. Two parents confirmed to LOOKOUT this past week that they called their providers at the hospital and were told they were still not able to come in for care outside of talk therapy or other wraparound services.

Phoenix Children's press office has not returned LOOKOUT's phone calls, voicemails, and emails asking for comment or clarification on if they will continue its decision to discontinue services.

A protest, organized with the help of Trans Queer Pueblo, has been scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, outside the Phoenix Children's Hospital Thomas Avenue campus at 4 p.m.

In a statement made to LOOKOUT, Prisma Executive Director Jessyca Leach said "We are committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to all our patients. This court decision allows us to continue supporting our transgender youth."

The center said they will continue monitoring the situation.

The reversal comes at a time where community members and organizations providing aid and services are trying to best manage how to handle Trump's sweeping orders. The state's LGBTQIA Caucus at the state legislature sent a letter to Attorney General Kris Mayes asking for clarity on if the executive order should be followed locally, or if they were unconstitutional.

The decision by Prisma reflects that confusion: while some legal scholars said that complying with executive orders that are most likely going to be challenged and held up in court is a choice that is more a signal to federal officials willingness to comply, others say that it's not so black and white.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital “Indefinitely” Ending Gender-Affirming Care

The move comes alongside other major city’s children’s hospitals doing the same.

LOOKOUTJoseph Darius Jaafari (he/him)

Online, community members defended Prisma's decision, saying it was something they had to do. Others saw it as an example of disregarding trans youth at a time when the community is being targeted nearly every day in both Federal and local regulations and bills.

Prisma’s Director of Marketing and Community Engagement Iris Avila told LOOKOUT last week that no one at the center was happy about the decision, describing it as "whiplash," and emphasized that mental health support was still provided during the period, which she said was "critical."

"We do not agree with this. But compliance is necessary in order to ensure that we can continue providing the services we have to our community," Avila said. “There’s no abandoning them."

In a followup statement last Friday to LOOKOUT announcing that they would resume services, Avila said the court intervention was reaffirming for trans youth: "We are relieved to lift the suspension for our patients under 19 whose gender-affirming hormone therapy was halted by this discriminatory executive order."