NYC's woke socialist mayor sets aside $15m of taxpayer cash for transgender SEX CHANGE initiatives

By JAMES GORDON, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:37, 27 June 2026 | Updated: 00:37, 27 June 2026 New York City's socialist mayor is pouring $15 million of taxpayer money into expanding so-called 'gender-affirming care' - including sex change initiatives for children and adults. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the funding package on Friday, casting it as a direct response to President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on pediatric gender-transition treatments. The funding will subsidize providers, create a new transgender hotline, bankroll research and offer low- or no-cost hormone therapy for adults, regardless of immigration status.  The plan includes the creation of a 'direct care access fund' designed to financially support healthcare providers, including services for minors, intended to connect New Yorkers with providers and resources. The city will also finance research into LGBTQ+ healthcare access and launch a pilot program at a Queens clinic. Mamdani framed the package as a response to Trump's administration, accusing the federal government of attempting to intimidate patients, families and medical professionals. 'While the federal government attacks trans New Yorkers and threatens the providers who care for them, our administration is stepping up,' Mamdani said in a statement announcing the initiative. 'We will do everything in our power to defend the rights, safety and dignity of transgender New Yorkers and ensure they continue to receive the healthcare they need.' New York City has set aside $15 million over two years to expand so-called 'gender-affirming care' initiatives for children and adults. Pictured, Mamdani at NYC's 2025 Pride March in June The package put forward by the city includes a new direct care access fund to subsidize healthcare providers offering so-called gender-affirming care The mayor has also instructed the city's Law Department to prepare for potential legal battles should the federal government attempt to restrict or block access to such treatments. Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su echoed Mamdani's criticism of Washington, saying attacks on transgender healthcare amount to 'the dehumanization of transgender people' that is 'not just cruel, it's dangerous.' Taylor Brown, director of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, accused the Trump administration of pursuing an 'ideological war' motivated by 'political instincts, not science.' The announcement comes as the Justice Department continues investigating medical providers involved in performing sex change treatments on minors. Last year, the Department of Justice subpoenaed more than 20 doctors and clinics that provide such procedures for children as part of investigations into possible healthcare fraud, false statements and related offenses. Then-Attorney General Pamela Bondi said at the time: 'Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice.' Earlier, Bondi had directed federal prosecutors to investigate suspected cases of female genital mutilation carried out under what she described as the banner of so-called 'gender-affirming care.' She also instructed the Justice Department's Consumer Protection Branch to investigate whether manufacturers or distributors made false or misleading claims regarding puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and other drugs used in pediatric gender-transition treatment. The city is also funding new research into LGBTQ+ healthcare access as part of the $15 million initiative. Pictured, Mamdani speaks about New York City's 2027 budget last month The city will launch a dedicated call and text line to help connect transgender New Yorkers with services and providers. Mamdani shakes hands with supporters during last year's Pride march Within days of returning to office, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting the federal government from funding, sponsoring, promoting, assisting or supporting sex change procedures for minors. The order also directed federal agencies to rigorously enforce laws restricting or prohibiting such treatments for children. 'Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child's sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions,' the executive order states. 'This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation's history, and it must end.' The debate over pediatric gender medicine has become increasingly contentious in recent years, particularly over the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries. Supporters of the treatments argue they can reduce distress for carefully selected patients diagnosed with gender dysphoria and are provided under established clinical guidelines. Critics, however, argue that many of the interventions carry significant risks, including infertility, impaired sexual function, loss of bone density and other potentially irreversible physical changes, while questioning the long-term quality of evidence supporting their use in children. The city is also funding new research into LGBTQ+ healthcare access as part of the $15 million initiative Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the funding is intended to protect transgender New Yorkers and providers from federal action Last year, the Justice Department subpoenaed more than 20 doctors and clinics involved in providing gender-transition treatments for minors as part of federal investigations. Pictured, People listen to speakers during a Protect Trans Youth event at the Brooklyn Museum Double mastectomies performed on teenage girls diagnosed with gender dysphoria have become one of the most controversial aspects of the debate, with opponents arguing such procedures permanently remove healthy tissue from minors who may later regret transitioning. The legal landscape has also shifted dramatically. In June 2025, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Tennessee's law banning puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and certain gender-transition treatments for minors did not violate the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, allowing the state restrictions to remain in place. New York City, meanwhile, has aggressively fought federal efforts to obtain information relating to transgender patients. Earlier this month, the city opposed federal grand jury subpoenas seeking patient medical records from providers involved in transgender care, and a federal judge later granted an injunction temporarily blocking the Department of Justice from obtaining those records while litigation continues. Despite the $15 million commitment, some progressive lawmakers say City Hall is not going nearly far enough. Councilmember Tiffany Cabán urged the administration to quadruple the investment to roughly $60 million, arguing transgender youth require greater financial support. Within days of returning to office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to stop funding or supporting sex-change procedures for minors Former AG Pamela Bondi said the Justice Department would investigate medical professionals who provide sex-change treatments for minors, saying they would 'be held accountable' 'We need this medical care coverage for our transgender youth and transgender neighbors in this city,' Cabán said during budget discussions. 'We got money for 500 more cops in the executive budget but we don't have money for healthcare and trans kids. I think that's a question of priorities.' Budget Director Sherif Soliman described the current allocation as 'a start' and told the City Council he hopes additional funding can be directed toward the initiatives as the city's finances permit. Soliman also testified that relatively few new programs had been added between the preliminary and executive budget proposals as City Hall sought to balance its books. According to his testimony, approximately $17 billion was added between the preliminary and executive budgets, with about eight percent representing new mayoral programs. The $15 million package is spread over two fiscal years. City Hall has not publicly released a detailed breakdown specifying how much of the funding will be dedicated exclusively to minors versus adult services. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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