Cynthia Nixon delivered a powerful speech supporting her trans son and the community during a rally fighting for gender-affirming care.
Back in January, convicted felon and 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump, started his second term by issuing an array of executive orders – including one targeting trans youth.
The EO, issued on 28 January, called for restricting gender-affirming care to individuals aged 19 and younger.
It also directed agencies to block federal funding for medical schools and hospitals that continue to give affirming health care to trans youth.
While the order isn’t legally binding, various medical centers have started to cease treatments for trans youth – sparking significant pushback from the LGBTQIA+ community, human rights organisations and trans allies.
On 3 February, the New York City Democratic Socialists of America held a demonstration in front of NYU Langone Health in Manhattan, calling on the medical institution to stop cancelling appointments and continue to offer trans youth gender-affirming care.
During the powerful gathering—which hundreds of people attended—Sex and the City star and longtime activist Nixon delivered a heartfelt speech in support of her trans family members and friends, including her son.
“I’m here as a longtime New Yorker, and I’m here as a person who loves my city and my state. Most importantly, I am here today as the mother of a proud trans man,” she exclaimed to the roaring crowd.
“I am here today as the aunt of a proud trans man. My best friend’s kid is trans, and my kid’s best friend is trans.
“My wife and I, our lives are filled with the most amazing, beautiful, brave trans people, young and old, but especially young.”
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Nixon went on to open up about her son having his top surgery at NYU, adding: “His doctor was fantastic, and his surgeon was the best could’ve imagined.
“The idea that this city is filled with young people, who thought they had a place to go where they could receive the highest care and that place has now been shut to them sickens me, sickens me to my core.”
Towards the end of her speech, the beloved talent praised the crowd for coming out to fight for trans rights before delivering one final powerful message.
“And I want to tell the people of NYU as I told you today, I just live a few blocks away; you’re going to be seeing a lot of me,” Nixon said.
“You’re going to be seeing a lot of this amazing crowd or people, and there are a lot of people here today, and we’re mad as hell. But as many people that are here today, it is vitally important that we come back again and again and our size grows.”
Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin
While the future of gender-affirming care for trans youth remains uncertain, New York Attorney General Letitia James recently pushed back against Trump’s EO in a letter sent out on Monday (3 February).
In the document, James warned hospitals that they still have a legal obligation to provide gender-affirming care under New York law.
“Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligation to comply with New York State laws,” she wrote in an official letter.
“Electing to refuse services to a class of individuals based on their protected status, such as withholding the availability of services from transgender individuals based on their gender identity or their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, while offering such services to cisgender individuals, is discrimination under New York law.
Watch Nixon’s full speech here or below.
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