Coalition Celebrates Historic State Investments to Protect Access to Transgender Health Care in California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A coalition of LGBTQ+, health care, civil rights, and community organizations, including Equality California, celebrated Governor Gavin Newsom's announcement of the 2026-27 California State Budget, which includes a historic $26 million investment to protect access to transition-related care and strengthen California's network of providers serving transgender Californians. The budget also includes the continuation of a $30 million Uncompensated Care Fund, which will help ensure that providers can continue to deliver transition-related care and reproductive healthcare when federal funding is unavailable, restricted, or prohibited.

The one-time $26 million investment will provide targeted grants to stabilize California's provider network. The funding comes at a time when ongoing federal attacks have created uncertainty for patients, families, and providers across the state despite California's longstanding legal protections for gender-affirming care.

For months, advocates, health care providers, patients, families, and community organizations urged state leaders to act before federal actions could further destabilize California's health care system. These investments help ensure California's legal protections are backed by the resources needed to keep care accessible and providers supported.

"We are deeply grateful to Governor Newsom, Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate President pro Tempore Monique Límon, Senator John Laird, Senator Caroline Menjivar, Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel, Assemblymember Dawn Addis, the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, and legislative leaders who recognized the urgency of this moment and acted to protect transgender Californians. At a time when the federal government continues attacking transgender people and undermining access to medically necessary health care, California is making a historic investment to ensure that our community can continue to access the care they need," said Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang.

The coalition emphasized that the investments not only protect access to care for transgender Californians but also help preserve California's health care infrastructure by supporting providers who have faced increasing financial and legal uncertainty as a result of federal actions.

Coalition Partner Statements:

"We are proud to live and work in a state that leads the nation by example in the fight for trans people and their families. The creation of the Transgender Health Care Fund is a historic investment in life-saving care and comes at a time when trans Californians are under attack and facing increasing hurdles to accessing adequate care, resources and opportunities. We applaud our state leaders for meeting this moment and taking action to protect LGBTQ+ communities," said Terra Russell-Slavin, Chief Strategy Officer, Los Angeles LGBT Center.

"Every day, transgender youth, their families, and the providers who care for them are being targeted by political attacks designed to create fear and cut off access to medically necessary care. We are deeply grateful to Governor Newsom and state leaders for meeting this moment with action - this historic investment will help keep care accessible, support the providers doing this lifesaving work, and remind trans young people that California will not abandon them," said Kathie Moehlig, Founder and Executive Director of TransFamily Support Services.

"At a time when transgender youth and their families are facing unprecedented challenges across the country, California has chosen to stand as a beacon of hope, safety, and dignity. We are deeply grateful to Governor Newsom and our state leaders for not just speaking about equality, but funding it. By protecting access to gender-affirming care and robustly supporting the Transgender Health Care Fund, California is actively saving lives and setting a powerful national standard," said Dannie Ceseña, Director, California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network.

"While the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress weaponize the healthcare of vulnerable patients, including transgender individuals, state leaders are boldly meeting this moment by filling critical funding gaps and protecting access to essential healthcare. Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California is grateful to Governor Newsom and our allies in the Legislature for continuing to stand with the patients and providers most impacted by these federal attacks and acknowledging what we know to be true: state rights and legal protections mean nothing if our transgender neighbors and loved ones cannot access the care they need and deserve," said Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

"This investment in gender-affirming care will help protect the health of our transgender, gender-expansive, and intersex patients, stabilize providers, and ensure that medically necessary, evidence-based care remains available in practice in California - not just in principle. We are grateful to the Governor and Legislature for making clear that legal protections must be more than words on paper: they must translate into real, uninterrupted access to medically necessary care," said Francisco J. Silva, Esq., President & CEO, CPCA Advocates

"We are so honored to work with an incredible coalition that has made this initiative possible to support gender affirming health for all trans, gender expansive and intersex people in our beautiful state. We must continue to work together to ensure the well-being, health, and autonomy of all people in our state," said Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of The TransLatin@ Coalition.

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