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HUHS Indefinitely Postpones Panel on LGBTQ Care Following Executive Orders

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Harvard University Health Services indefinitely postponed a panel on LGBTQ care at Harvard due to uncertainty about the implications of President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting transgender individuals.

Maegan von Rohr, Director of the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, was set to moderate the Feb. 7 virtual discussion between representatives from Harvard University Health Services’ LGBTQ+ Care Committee, Member Services, and the Patient Advocate on resources for Harvard affiliates at HUHS.

The day before the event was scheduled to occur, HUHS sent an invitation to the BGLTQ Student Life mailing list and publicized the event on the Harvard College Office of BGLTQ Student Life Facebook page.

But on Friday afternoon — less than two hours before the panel was scheduled to begin — HUHS emailed the BGLTQ Student Life mailing list that the event had been postponed.

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“We have received several questions surrounding the recent executive orders and how they may impact care at the University,” HUHS wrote in the email. “We are currently working to understand any potential implications, with a commitment to providing you with up-to-date information.”

The postponement comes amid a Trump administration crackdown on gender-affirming care across the country. Trump signed an executive order Jan. 28 stating that the federal government would not “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another” for individuals under the age of nineteen.

According to the Harvard University Student Health Program website, Harvard’s health insurance plans for students “cover gender-affirming services,” including hormone therapy and surgery. The HUHS primary care team also provides consultations for hormone therapy and referrals for gender-affirming surgery.

Trump has also directed federal agencies not to fund institutions that distinguish between gender identity and sex assigned at birth, mandating in a Jan. 20 executive order that “federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology.”

“We postponed the panel in light of the recent executive orders and are planning to reschedule soon,” Harvard spokesperson Tiffanie Green wrote in a statement.

The postponement is Harvard’s latest attempt to account for Trump’s executive orders targeting trans individuals. Two days before the panel was postponed, Harvard removed its inclusion policy for trans athletes from its website in response to an executive order banning trans women from participating in school and college-level women’s events.

“Harvard University Health Services is committed to supporting the health and wellness needs of our LGBTQ community,” Green wrote. “As always, we will continue to closely monitor all announcements related to patient care.”

—Staff writer Wyeth Renwick can be reached at wyeth.renwick@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @wzrenwick.

—Staff writer Nirja J. Trivedi can be reached at nirja.trivedi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @nirjatriv.

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