This ruling is a welcome relief, and a reminder of the power of sharing our stories and voices. As we face continuing challenges to LGBTQ+ rights, our work continues to ensure all members of our communities are free to lead lives of opportunity, autonomy, and full self-expression.

Forward.

Everyone deserves access to the medical care they need.

Follow our socials and newsletters to stay informed on more ways to get involved and for details on how to comment on these proposed rules. Save the Date for a community briefing on Tuesday, November 11 at Noon—details to come.

In moments of uncertainty it’s important that we all play a role in supporting providers and ensuring our communities maintain access to necessary care.

We are committed to that work.

To trans youth, families, providers, and all those impacted by this news: We see you, we stand with you.

If these rules are published, we expect challenges to gender-affirming care, even in states where the provision of gender-affirming care remains legal and protected, like Minnesota.

We also expect that any rules limiting best practice medical care will be challenged in courts.

We expect these rules may:

1. Prevent the use of federal Medicaid dollars from being used for medical gender-affirming care treatments for those under 19; and

2. Threaten to eliminate Medicare and Medicaid eligibility for all services at any clinics or hospitals that provide youth gender care.

And, even as we celebrate today, we know the work must continue. Opponents of inclusion continue to pressure our state to retreat from the values upheld today—we know this ruling is likely to intensify those efforts. Minnesota must remain a North Star.

Forward, together.

As our friends at Gender Justice note: “​​This ruling reinforces the principle that every person deserves equal access to opportunities and spaces where they can thrive and belong.”

We celebrate the determination and persistence of JayCee Cooper, Gender Justice, and their legal partners.

Pronouns day is usually the third Wednesday in October!

pronouns.org/day

While we await further details; stay grounded in the facts, center those most impacted, be aware that the ways we understand what happened affect our response to a tragedy.

In this painful moment we reaffirm that we all deserve safety, and stand in support with all those grieving.

We also recognize that some may use this tragedy to continue to target trans communities. We condemn this attempt to divide us in this moment when we should be engaging in solidarity and love to those impacted. Acts of violence are not inherent to one identity or experience.

Violence has no place in our communities, and we condemn these unconscionable actions.

We stand with our fellow Minnesotans in urging care and support for those affected as we come together as communities to mourn the lives lost and support our friends and neighbors.

We will keep moving forward. Our communities are resilient, and we will continue to advocate for our rights and for the care that we need, in Minnesota and beyond. Our care to all who are affected by this decision.

Today’s decision solidifies a fraught patchwork of care access across this country and cruelly denies many families the right to make health care decisions with the expert care providers based solely on where they live.

We stand with all those affected by these and other threats of harm.

We call on our communities and all those across Minnesota to stand together in this moment, to reject violence, and to look out for one another and for those who serve our communities.

We understand that many other elected officials along with reproductive healthcare providers were among others named as targets. We hope this arrest brings a measure of relief.

Acts of violence like these can affect all of us and we encourage those who need them to seek out supportive resources.

While we await specific details from this investigation, we know that politically motivated threats of violence towards elected officials, healthcare providers, and civic institutions & organizations are all too prevalent.

Our communities know the impact of these actions all too well, only a few weeks ago we honored Harvey Milk’s birthday. His assassination along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone in 1978 is forever part of our history.