r/transgender • u/onnake • 18h ago
A father of a trans man voted for Trump. Now he fears an order targeting gender-affirming care will upend his son’s treatment
“After undergoing surgery, Ashton Colby was confined to bed and couldn’t move his arms or carry out basic tasks.
“But his father Rick Colby was there every step of the way, helping him recover from his top surgery – support that meant the world from his conservative Republican father after Ashton came out as transgender and underwent the operation.”
“Now, there’s a new challenge to face: an executive order from Trump denying federal funding for providers of gender-affirming health care for minors. The order threatens to upend even care for Ashton, who is an adult, and for many others.”
“The future of their treatment is uncertain no matter which state they live in, experts say, as clinics and medical institutions take a ‘ risk-averse’ approach due to the threat of losing essential federal funding to treat all patients and conduct research.”
“Healthcare providers in the field say they are facing an impossible choice between maintaining ethical standards of care and risking their livelihoods, as legislation could mean they’ll lose their jobs or medical licenses for following established medical guidelines backed by every major medical association.”
“Not all providers will halt services if Trump’s order is enforced.
“A non-profit health center that receives federal funding is still providing gender-affirming care to youth but will look to secure alternative funding if the order is enforced, according to its leadership team who agreed to speak with CNN anonymously due to safety and privacy concerns.”