The Board of Visitors met Friday in a Special Board meeting to discuss the University’s changing policies in regards to gender-affirming care, which includes practices to alter the physical, mental or biological experiences of one’s gender identity. The Board resolved to maintain the reinstatement of gender-affirming care — for existing patients only — in accordance with current federal regulation.
Outside of the closed session meeting, approximately one hundred protesters urged the Board to prioritize the needs of transgender patients and rights of physicians over the demands of the Trump administration. The protest was organized by the Queer Student Union, a Contracted Independent Organization dedicated to protecting LGBTQ+ rights and providing a welcoming environment at the University.
U.Va. Health suspended gender-affirming care Jan. 31 in response to both President Donald Trump’s Jan. 28 executive order and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ memo threatening the University with federal funding cuts if U.Va. Health continued to provide gender-affirming care for patients age 18 and below. But after a federal judge blocked Trump’s order for 14 days, U.Va. Health quickly moved to reinstate the practice.
In a written statement provided to The Cavalier Daily on behalf of U.Va. Health, Public Information Officer Eric Swensen said that the decision to pause care was reversed and gender-affirming care services were resumed Feb. 13 as a direct response to the court ruling which temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order.
“Now that a federal court has issued a temporary restraining order suspending the federal executive order on gender-affirming care, U.Va. Health will resume the provision of those services that were previously paused in response to the order,” Swensen wrote.
Swensen added that U.Va. Health will “continue to monitor legal developments” and update practices in accordance with state and federal law.
The meeting of the Board was held Friday primarily in closed session without public comment as Board members deliberated whether to uphold or challenge U.Va. Health’s decision to reinstate gender-affirming care. According to a handout presented after this meeting, the Board upheld U.Va. Health’s decision, encouraging new patients to find private providers of gender-affirming care who may be less susceptible to “legal and funding uncertainties.”
“The Board of Visitors supports our doctors continuing to treat their current patients at the University in a manner consistent and compliant with existing law,” the handout said. “New patients seeking gender-affirming care of the nature described in the Presidential Executive Order should be referred to alternative private healthcare providers until further notice.”
This handout also stated that the University’s actions in both suspending and resuming gender-affirming care were without the consultation of the Board and that the Board must be consulted prior to the announcement of policy changes. According to the handout, the Board has the authority to make policies for the University pursuant to Virginia Law, Code Section 23.1-1301, and the Board will now “directly advise” the University on compliance with executive orders.
While the Board discussed U.Va. Health policy in their Rotunda meeting room, protestors gathered in the Rotunda courtyard chanting, whistling and banging pots and pans to encourage Board members to listen to their pleas to protect gender-affirming care. The QSU organized this protest in an effort to “amplify transgender voices.”
Prior to the Board meeting which began at 9:30 a.m., members of the QSU shared aloud written testimonials, some anonymous, from transgender students, community members and queer allies on the importance of gender-affirming care. Members told stories about the impact of gender-affirming care and the intentionality of transgender individuals in seeking gender-affirming care in the form of hormone therapy, surgery, counseling and social transitioning resources. One unnamed transgender student wrote about their experience to the QSU.
“I have been on testosterone for just over a year now and I got top surgery in December of 2024, and I can’t emphasize enough how good it feels to be able to just exist and not be constantly aware of and uncomfortable with my body,” the student wrote. “Please understand that we are informed and making these decisions with due consideration. Please don’t take away the comfort we have fought and suffered to attain.”
CJ Ackerman-Garvin, QSU transgender advocacy chair and second-year College student, was one of several members of the QSU who spoke at this demonstration. In a statement to The Cavalier Daily, Ackeman-Garvin said that the QSU hosted this demonstration to show the University and the Board that the community cares about transgender youth and queer students, and to reaffirm that gender-affirming healthcare is a necessary human right.
“We want U.Va. to be on the right side of history … [and] to affirm their commitment to students, to all students, because U.Va. cannot truly be great and good if it does not care for all of its community members, especially those who have been marginalized and mistreated,” Ackeman-Garvin said.
Several medical professionals also attended this protest in support of gender-affirming care. Katharine DeGeorge, U.Va. Health Family Medicine Provider, stated that she was protesting not only to promote patient care but also to stand up for her 16-year-old transgender child whose life was saved because of access to gender-affirming care. According to DeGeorge, politics should have no place in deciding what care a medical professional is able to provide.
“I feel like gender affirming care is like chemotherapy for these kids, and nobody would withhold chemotherapy,” DeGeorge said. “[No one] can pretend to know what it's like if they haven't had such discomfort in their bodies that they feel like the only choice is to end their life. And there's a treatment for it — why would anyone take that away?”
This demonstration was not the only form of protest since the University’s first restricted gender affirming care. Leading up to the Friday Board meeting, the Virginia chapter of the United Campus Workers hosted a “TransCare Zap Week” urging students to call and email University administrators to ask that U.Va. Health commit to providing gender-affirming care regardless of Trump’s order.
The UCW-VA, along with the Charlottesville Gender Expansive Network, also organized the first protest against U.Va. Health’s suspension of gender-affirming care at the University hospital Jan. 31. Around 150-200 individuals were in attendance.
According to Daniel Carmelo, member of UCW-VA and Class of 2024 alumnus, the efforts of UCW-VA are to show how many people are willing to stand for both the rights of transgender people to receive necessary care and for medical professionals to provide the best care for their patients. Carmelo states that while he is grateful that the University reinstated this care, he feels that the University needs to show a greater commitment to the needs of the entire community.
“[The University] capitulated before they figured out a way that they could resist this unlawful order … and that broke trust with the Charlottesville community,” Carmelo said.
While gender-affirming care remains reinstated, as noted in the Board handout, federal law will continue to dictate U.Va. Health and the Board’s course of action going forward.
“U.Va. Health will continue to monitor legal developments in this case and provide our patients with the best care possible under Virginia and federal law.”
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