Federal Court Decision On Trans Youth Care Leave Some In Limbo.
Last week, Prisma Community Care resumed providing gender-affirming healthcare for their youth patients, while Phoenix Children's remains quiet on their next moves.
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 …..