CALL TO ACTION: Rally to support trans youth lives in front of UPMC and Penn State Health Locations Across PA on May 9, 2025
CLICK HERE TO WRITE TO PENN STATE HEALTH
CLICK HERE TO WRITE TO UPMC
UPMC and now Penn State Have have decided to begin denying gender affirming medical healthcare for new and some existing patients under 19 years old across their healthcare systems. This care at UPMC and Penn State Health has been vital to the many young people whose lives depend on it for many years. Statewide coordinated rallies will raise critical visibility of mass public rejection of UPMC’s and Penn State Health’s decision in pre-compliance with an illegal Executive Order, and demand they reverse their decision under the current circumstances. Continuing behavioral healthcare alone is not enough to save the lives of trans children and youth. TransYOUniting is mobilizing another mass rally in Pittsburgh, Centre LGBT+ is organizing a large rally in State College, and the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project and the Pennsylvania Youth Congress are mobilizing a rally in Hershey — all on Friday, May 9, 2025. Solidarity rallies are being organized at other locations of the healthcare systems. It’s now or never. If we don’t push back now, other healthcare systems may follow and our public officials may remain silent.
This is an emergency we must respond to. These rallies will demonstrate needed public support for young trans Pennsylvanians.
These rallies will take place on public sidewalks and plazas without obstructing traffic as a demonstration of our freedom of speech and assembly. The organizations leading each rally will help those attending with any accessiblity needs. At all times organizers will remain clear that attendees are not to step onto private property.
Questions? Please email info@payouthcongress.org.
Rallies to Demand UPMC + Penn State Health Continue Saving Trans Lives
May 9, 2025
Hershey: In front of Penn State Health Children’s Hospital
The intersection of US 322 and University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033
Contact: Eastern PA Trans Equity Project at info@PATransEquity.org
Pittsburgh: In front of UPMC Headquarters on Grant Street
Near the intersection of Grant Street and Sixth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Contact: TransYOUniting at info@transyounitingpgh.org
State College: The Allen Street Gates in front of Penn State University — University Park
The intersection of Allen Street and West College Avenue, State College, PA 16801
Contact: Centre LGBT+ at cat@centrelgbtqa.org
Articles
Families, officials fault UPMC for conceding to Trump order on gender-affirming care for youth (Public Source)
Pittsburgh city leaders, protesters demand UPMC reinstate gender-affirming care for trans youth (WESA-NPR Pittsburgh)
UPMC called out for throwing transgender youth under the bus to appease Trump (Union Progress)
Advocates for transgender community rallied at UPMC headquarters to support gender-affirming care for youth (WTAE-ABC Pittsburgh)
Community leaders, advocates call for UPMC to reinstate gender-affirming care for all patients (WPXI-NBC Pittsburgh)
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and other local leaders protest President Trump’s executive order limiting gender-affirming care (KDKA-CBS Pittsburgh)
Students are ‘upset, but not surprised’ over denial of gender affirming care at UPMC CHP (Pitt News)
Rally to Support Trans Youth in Erie (Erie News Now)
State College community members rally in support of trans rights on Day of Visibility (Centre Daily Times)
Statewide protest (Altoona Mirror)
Rallies were held at UPMC locations around Pennsylvania, including in Lancaster (WGAL-NBC Central PA)
Under pressure from Trump, UPMC canceled a trans patient’s scheduled top surgery (Pittsburgh City Paper)
Multiple families of trans kids denied gender-affirming medications at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (Pitt News)
Trans Youth Denied Gender-Affirming Medications at UPMC Children’s Hospital Following Trump’s Executive Order (QBurgh)
As hospitals grapple with Trump’s gender-affirming care ban, young people are caught in the middle (WESA-NPR Pittsburgh)