California sues a hospital for ending trans youth care. It could be a game changer.https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/02/california-sues-a-hospital-for-ending-trans-youth-care-it-could-be-a-game-changer/ 🔗John Russell (5 Feb 2026)
California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) is suing a hospital for ending its youth gender-affirming care program using a strategy that legal experts say could be a game changer for efforts to ensure trans minors maintain access to the care they need.
As Erin in the Morning reports, Bonta filed the lawsuit against Rady Children's Hospital on Friday, just 10 days after the San Diego hospital announced that it would close its Center for Gender-Affirming Care and, beginning February 6, no longer provide medically necessary gender-affirming care to patients under the age of 19.
According to the East Bay Times, in a statement following its January 20 announcement, Rady cited pressure from the Trump administration, which has threatened to block research and educational grants as well as Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement to institutions that provide gender-affirming care to minors.
But as Erin in the Morning notes, Bonta's strategy does not rely on state or federal civil rights law. Rather, in his complaint, Bonta argues that Rady has violated the legally binding conditions it agreed to when he approved its merger with the Children's Hospital of Orange County in 2024.
In a January 30 press release announcing the lawsuit, Bonta's office explained that the conditions the California AG placed on the merger "included a requirement that Rady maintain existing levels of specialty healthcare services — including gender-affirming care — through 2034." They also required the hospital "to obtain approval from the Attorney General before it reduced or eliminated gender-affirming care."
