The LGBTQ+ community is rallying behind a bold demand ahead of the 2026 NYC Pride celebrations. A coalition of transgender advocates, past and present grand marshals, and allies is urging Heritage of Pride to exclude hospitals that have stopped providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors from participating in the city’s Pride march on June 28.
Organized by the Gender Liberation Movement, the initiative highlights a critical issue facing transgender youth and their families across the country. The letter, addressed to NYC Pride’s Board of Directors and Leadership, emphasizes the need for solidarity with those most under attack.
Hospitals Under Scrutiny
The letter praises institutions that have defended trans youth despite political pressure but criticizes several New York City hospital systems, including NYU LangoneMt. Sinai and New York Presbyterian for preemptively ending gender-affirming care for young people. This decision, according to the letter, puts trans youth at risk and has had devastating consequences.
Families have been forced to seek care elsewhere, endure significant disruptions to treatment, and confront uncertainty about their children’s futures. The letter describes this as a choice of cowardice over courage highlighting the urgent need for institutions to stand firm in their support of trans youth.
The Call for Action
The coalition is calling on NYC Pride to ban these hospitals from participating in current and future marches and festivals surrounding Pride in the city. The letter states that institutions cannot claim solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities one day a year while abandoning trans youth when political pressure mounts.
Prominent 2026 NYC Pride grand marshals, including Bowen YangDominique JacksonPeppermint and Jay Walks from Gays Against Guns, have signed the letter. Former grand marshals, such as Michelle VisageTS MadisonJazz JenningsCayenne Doroshow and Raquel Willis have also backed the statement.
The letter is supported by 33 parents and family members of transgender children, 14 LGBTQ+ non-profit and organizing collectives, and 22 LGBTQ+ leaders across the city. The coalition invites others to support the cause via the Gender Liberation Movement website.
The Broader Context
The call for action comes amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration on hospital systems nationwide. In May, NYU Langone became the first hospital system to be criminally subpoenaed for sensitive medical records of patients who received gender-affirming care as minors between 2026 and 2026.
Advocates have urged hospital systems nationwide not to cooperate with subpoenas, and several judges have blocked the Justice Department’s efforts to access patient files. The petition calls on NYC Pride to join this effort and respond by Monday.
Raquel Willis, co-founder of Gender Liberation Movement, emphasizes the importance of defending the access and safety of trans youth. She states, ‘Each year, we are tested against the values of our ancestors and transcestors during Pride. This year, when our vulnerable next generation of transgender and nonbinary youth are being denied care, NYC Pride must hold the line and disallow hospitals that have unlawfully upheld hateful policies.’
The coalition believes that NYC Pride has an opportunity to take a stand with trans youth and their families and send a message to the Trump administration that the attacks will not stand in New York. They urge Heritage of Pride to demonstrate that the values of Pride are more than symbolic by standing unequivocally with transgender youth and the families fighting for their right to receive care.
