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Kormac Moore, a freshman studying music audition, left his class to take a call on Jan. 28. It was his hormone treatment clinic informing him that they were no longer able to treat him due to President Donald Trump signing an executive order restricting gender-affirming health care for people under 19 years of age. Moore is 18.
After the phone call, Moore called his mom. He sat outside, the overcast sky started to rain and he told her the news. Two things were clear: He was unsure what would happen next, and he felt there was little he could do.
Leading up to his 18th birthday, Moore thought about hormone treatment every day. His mind was a victim of an endless slew of self-critical thoughts about his identity. The thoughts were often distressing, resulting in anxiety and depression, but the thought of hormone treatment kept him hopeful.
On the day of his first testosterone shot, Moore was overcome with excitement. He was taking the first step toward feeling at home in himself. He rode the light rail for over an hour to get to the clinic. When he arrived, sunlight poured through the waiting room windows, filling the space. It evoked a sense of calm and safety for Moore, assuring him that he was where he was supposed to be.
Moore described the moment as a ceremony. Although receiving the shot was quick, the impact it left on his life was significant.
"When it came to that day and I got that first shot, it was all I ever wanted," Moore said. "A third of my life I had been waiting for that moment. After, I felt this feeling of peace and serenity that I was finally starting this journey and I wouldn’t have to wait anymore."
Moore felt that the news of Trump’s executive order threatened his right to make his own health care decisions and halted any progress he had made toward living a happier life.
Uncertainty and fear
Trump's executive order claiming to "(protect) children from chemical and surgical mutilation" directs federal agencies to prohibit access to a variety of gender-affirming health care options for people under the age of 19 and take additional steps to discourage access.
The list of restricted health care options includes the use of puberty blockers (including GnRH agonists), use of sex hormones (androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) and surgical procedures.
Ari Kravitz is a nurse practitioner at Spectrum Medical in Phoenix. The center provides gender-affirming care to patients 18 and older. Kravitz explained how the executive order resulted in widespread fear among the medical community, causing many clinics to stop treatment altogether.
"As far as the general chilling effect on the whole trans community, that's been massive," Kravitz said. "There's a lot of fear and uncertainty because we mainly see people 18 and up. We're just sort of waiting for the other shoe to drop for our own patient care population. I have seen people get their prescriptions refused to be refilled as well as surgeries get delayed or canceled."
In the United States, people 18 and older are considered legal adults and are able to make decisions about their health care. Trump’s executive order seeks to restrict gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19. This puts 18-year-olds at risk for losing access to treatment.
"I thought that I was in the clear because I am a legal adult. Trump never talked about considering young adults who are 18 to be minors," Moore said. "He considers us children. I was shocked because I didn't think I would have to face this so early on."
Stopping treatment comes with health risks. Trans feminine people who have received surgeries like gonadectomies, vaginoplasties or orchiectomies need access to sex hormones. Without them, they will go into premature menopause resulting in hot flashes, mood swings and potential long term effects on bone density. For trans masculine people who have had hysterectomies, without testosterone, they will experience similar physical symptoms, Kravitz said.
According to Kravitz, forced hormonal detransition also results in distressing health consequences for patients still in the range of puberty (18 and 19). If trans feminine people stop hormone treatment, there is a potential for added facial and body hair growth, as well as changes to body structure, fat distribution, facial structure and voice deepening. For trans masculine people, they may have a return of menstruation, breast development and changes to body fat distribution.
"It's psychologically distressing," Kravitz said. "And then the physical toll of big hormone switches is not something to be taken lightly. It's extremely physically unpleasant."
Discrimination and hate
Other gender-affirming cosmetic surgeries, more typically associated with cisgender people, remain accessible, including facial plastic surgeries and breast reductions.
"It's discriminatory (against) trans people. Trans people are not even the biggest consumers of gender-affirming care," Kravitz said. "Cisgender people are. If a cisgender man can walk into a men's wellness clinic and is able to receive testosterone for gender-affirming reasons, a transgender man should be able to do the exact same thing."
Banning gender-affirming care is more than a health risk. Anti-trans legislation also promotes discrimination which can be mentally distressing and physically dangerous to trans people.
"This response from the administration gives validation to a lot of discriminatory beliefs or practices and a federal stamp of approval on viewing trans people as undeserving of care and autonomy," said Parker Powley, a freshman studying chemistry and physics.
"With all of these policy changes, it's definitely having a big effect on people's perceptions and it poses a big risk for this kind of hateful rhetoric that continues to be pushed on the trans community," said Al Garayzar Lopez, a freshman studying neuroscience.
According to a study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, more than 40% of transgender adults have attempted suicide in the U.S. Another study by the Trevor Project showed that anti-transgender laws contributed to a 72% increase in suicide attempts for transgender youth.
"The day I started hormones was truly the happiest day of my life," Powley said. "It felt like a cloud had been lifted and I could see the world as it should be. My life had the capacity to be right again. I was so bogged down and seemingly limited beforehand, and that experience saved my life. I wouldn't be here today if I hadn’t started (hormone replacement therapy) when I did."
A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that gender-affirming care was associated with lower odds of suicidality and depression. Access to gender-affirming care has the capacity to save lives.
"I do believe that trans people will resist and make our way through this," Powley said. "It’s a question of time. It's a when, rather than an if. My only worry is how many people will be lost along the way."
Hope and support
Two weeks after Trump issued the executive order, two federal courts from Washington and Maryland issued temporary nationwide restraining orders, halting the enforcement of certain provisions in the order.
Since then, clinics all over the U.S., including ones in Arizona, have resumed treatment for their patients.
Moore was at home when his phone screen lit up. It was his clinic calling. He shot up out of his chair — his heart racing — and he answered the call. The clinic informed him that they were able to resume his treatment due to the temporary blocks on the executive order.
Moore was shocked and relieved. He called his family to tell them but made sure to emphasize that while it was good news, the block was temporary and the future of his treatment was still uncertain.
"I had just been so anxious and nervous about this for weeks on end. It was a very high-energy moment, and it was exciting," Moore said.
Some aspects of the executive order will have an immediate impact; however, the Trump administration will need to go through formal processes to implement other aspects. A permanent ban on gender-affirming care, if it requires a statutory change, would have to go through Congress. Additionally, the broad framework of state laws and court precedent regarding gender-affirming health care means that most actions outlined in the executive order will face prolonged legal action.
Though the Trump administration aims to limit access to gender-affirming care, it won't do so without pushback. Already, states are taking legal action against Trump’s sweeping executive orders. While the future of gender-affirming health care access remains uncertain, there is still a community of support for transgender youth.
"These people are human, and they deserve to be treated with humane treatment. It's not as if we're some kind of sub-group. Trans people deserve the equal amount of rights that anybody else could have," Garayzar Lopez said.
"There is a larger group than I knew about fighting for our rights, and it will inspire more people to stand up. I hope that I can live a normal life and I won't have to worry about this anymore," Moore said.
Edited by Savannah Dagupion, Leah Mesquita and Audrey Eagerton.
This story is part of The Contrast Issue, which was released on March 26, 2025. See the entire publication here.
Reach the reporter at amwilt@asu.edu and follow @AbigailMWilt on X.
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Abigail is a junior studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in english literature. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also worked at the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre.
