Trans Activists Inject HRT Outside NYU Langone in Defiance of Trump-Backed End to Youth Gender Care

Trans activists and community members gathered outside NYU Langone Health and publicly took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in a dramatic protest after the Manhattan hospital agreed to end gender-affirming medical care for patients under 19 following a federal investigation under the Trump administration.

The demonstration came days after NYU Langone agreed to pay $8.5 million (£6.3 million) to the US Department of Justice and stop providing gender-affirming medical and surgical treatments to minors as part of a settlement.

Activists Take HRT Outside the Hospital

Dozens of protesters gathered outside NYU Langone in Manhattan to oppose the hospital's decision, with some activists taking HRT as part of the demonstration.

The protest was reported on 22 September, one day after news of the settlement spread. Demonstrators described the action as a way of confronting the hospital directly and drawing attention to what they see as the consequences of restricting access to gender-affirming care.

One statement associated with the protest said: 'We're taking our HRT here at the doors of the people who have given up to demystify, normalize, and celebrate our trans bodies in the face of NYU's cowardice.'

The demonstration focused on adults taking their own medication, rather than children receiving treatment at the hospital. Some protesters also carried signs and spoke about the effect of the hospital's policy on transgender young people.

NYU Agrees To End Care for Patients Under 19

The protest followed a major agreement between NYU Langone and the DOJ announced on 18 September.

Under the settlement, NYU Langone agreed to stop providing gender-affirming medical and surgical treatment to patients under 19. The hospital will also pay $8.5 million (£6.3 million) to resolve the federal investigation. The agreement covers treatment including puberty blockers, hormone treatment and surgeries.

NYU Langone said it did not enter the agreement because of wrongdoing and denied wrongdoing or liability. The hospital said the settlement protects patients, families and healthcare providers from prolonged litigation while preserving the confidentiality of patient information. It also stressed that care for patients aged 18 and over would continue.

The agreement came after months of federal scrutiny. In May, NYU Langone received a grand jury subpoena seeking information relating to patients under 18 who had received gender-affirming care between 2020 and 2026. A federal court later issued a preliminary injunction blocking the disclosure of identifying or sensitive health information.

Trump Administration Put Pressure on Hospitals

The dispute traces back to President Donald Trump's January 2025 executive actions targeting gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.

A 28 January executive order directed federal agencies to take steps to prevent federally-funded medical institutions from providing puberty blockers, sex hormones and surgical procedures to children. The order defined children as people under 19.

The administration subsequently highlighted NYU Langone as one of the hospitals changing its approach to gender-affirming care for minors. In February 2025, the White House said NYU had begun cancelling appointments involving puberty-blocking medication for children.

The competing positions were on full display outside the Manhattan hospital, where protesters used a highly visible act of taking HRT to challenge a policy they say has pushed transgender healthcare into the centre of America's political fight.