UPMC made a decision last week that will traumatize the regional trans and queer communities for decades. I’ve considered how and what to write about it, but words escaped me. So I am sharing the public statements from assorted LGBTQ+ organizations. I will update as more statements emerge.
From Qburgh
UPMC stopped providing gender-affirming medical care to patients under 19 in June 2025 amid pressure from the Trump administration, forcing transgender young people and their families across Western Pennsylvania to search for alternative providers. QBurgh has followed the fallout from that decision for more than a year, including protests, legal complaints, opposition from UPMC healthcare workers and a separate battle over federal demands for patients’ private medical records.
The new settlement now threatens to turn what was already a devastating loss of care into a decade-long reality. The agreement includes a 10-year moratorium on UPMC providing gender-affirming care to young transgender patients, although the complete terms of the settlement had not been publicly released as of Friday evening.
TransYouniting
Members of Pittsburgh-based TransYOUniting spoke out on Friday against the agreements.
“Gender-affirming care isn’t just for transgender people,” said TransYOUniting board member Kian White. “It’s for all people.”
“UPMC is not actually harming young people with gender-affirming care,” said Lyndsey Sickler, another board member. “There’s nothing there. It’s horrible that this government body is exerting such a controlling effort.”
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