More than 1,000 students, staff and transgender rights activists gathered outside NYU Langone Health’s Tisch Hospital on Monday evening to protest the medical center’s decision to deny gender-affirming care to children. 

The rally, organized by New York City’s Democratic Socialists of America, featured over a dozen speeches from activists, health care workers and trans youth. The crowd held signs reading “Protect trans kids” and “Every kid deserves health care,” and intermittently chanted phrases including “Stand up, fight back,” “Freedom now” and “What do we want? Trans rights. When do we want it? Now.”

Speakers criticized NYU Langone for reportedly cancelling appointments to receive puberty-blocking medication for at least two patients, both 12, and called the decision illegal and unconstitutional. The medical center’s move comes one week after President Donald Trump issued an executive order threatening to withhold federal funding from hospitals and medical providers that offer gender-affirming care to patients under the age of 19.

“There is no reason that NYU Langone needs to comply with this,” Daniel Goulden, a member of DSA, said in an interview with WSN. “NYU needs to reverse course and we’re gonna fucking be here until they do.”

NYU Langone has not issued a statement addressing its appointment cancellations or Trump’s executive order. 

Many speakers, including CAS first-year Molly Buhl-Eaton, claimed the hospital’s decisions contradicted medical ethics and standards of patient care. They argued that Trump’s executive order is unconstitutional and will not stand in court. Additional signage at the protest claimed Trump’s executive order forced doctors to go against their oath to do no harm.

After the speeches, demonstrators started to march south down First Avenue, toward the front of the hospital. However, the group was dispersed after New York City Police Department officers warned them to stay on the sidewalk. At least one protester was arrested.

At the rally, DSA members handed out cards directing readers to email NYU Langone CEO Robert Grossman, demanding that the hospital continue to provide gender-affirming care. Several speakers had attributed the medical center’s decision to Grossman and hospital namesake and Republican megadonor Kenneth Langone, both of whom are billionaires and set to retire in May. 

“We’re going to keep organizing trans youth, parents of trans kids, trans adults and all of our other allies.” Goulden said. “We’re going to keep sending letters to Robert Grossman. He’s never going to get an email again or be able to read his inbox again.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to health care providers and other medical organizations Monday — three days after NYU Langone’s decision was first reported — warning them not to withhold gender-affirming care. James said the decisions violate New York state anti-discrimination laws, which protect gender-affirming care under the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and other legal provisions. 

“Ultimately, they didn’t even try to stand back up against it,” Buhl-Eaton said in an interview with WSN. “They know they have plenty of legal experts who are willing to stand up for them — but instead of doing that, they immediately caved.”

NYU Langone’s Transgender Youth Health Program has offered gender-affirming care since at least 2020, including personalized medical treatments and emotional support for children, adolescents and their families throughout the transition process. The program is part of the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, which then transfers patients to the medical center’s adult transgender health services to continue care.

Several speakers and protesters at the demonstration told WSN that they were surprised at NYU Langone’s decision, citing its history of boasting its LGBTQ+ care programs. Jacob Remes, a representative from NYU’s contract faculty union, said that NYU administrators “usually try to avoid bad press” and that he did not expect the medical center to make such a controversial decision. 

“I was surprised that they would court the anger and disappointment of their neighbors across the city, across the state,” Remes said. “I was surprised that NYU would choose this self-inflicted wound.”

In an interview with WSN, Abby Stein — named a Woman of Distinction by the New York State Senate for LGBTQ+ activism last year — said that other hospitals, such as Mount Sinai, began to reschedule appointments for gender-affirming care shortly following the notice from James. She also said that NYU is not taking new patients, but has allegedly rescheduled at least one appointment. 

Julie Swoope, a representative from DSA, also noted that it was relatively common for transgender people to move to New York City for better access to health care. In an interview with WSN, Swoope said that she had been going to the medical center for gender-affirming care for over 15 years, and had consistently felt supported by her care providers. 

“It is surprising to see them cave in such a cowardly way,” Swoope said. “I don’t think the administration is supported by the workers at NYU — you know, doctors, nurses, health care workers — I don’t think they support this decision.”

Speakers also highlighted the correlation between childhood mental illnesses and lack of access to gender-affirming care. Michael Zingman, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at NYU Langone, highlighted studies that correlated puberty blockers and hormones with decreased suicide rates. 

Since the protest, several public officials — including Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Tony Simone, Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, who spoke at the rally — have condemned NYU Langone’s decision to cancel appointments. The hospital also faced backlash for directing employees to not protect patients from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

“This is just the beginning, not the end,” Swoope said. “New York City, DSA is not giving up. This is just the start of fighting back against Trump, of fighting against billionaires and fighting against Robert Grossman.”

Contact Amelia Hernandez Gioia at [email protected].