Mamdani allocates nearly $9 million for gender transition treatments for minors

Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration awarded two contracts totaling $8.9 million to provide gender-transition services to patients under 18. The move comes amid warnings from the U.S. Department of Justice, which has labeled these practices as medically dangerous and illegal.

Public contracts and ideological concerns

The city's Department of Health selected two providers, Callen-Lorde and the Nonprofit Organization for Philanthropic Initiatives, to provide services from 2027 to 2029.

According to the public notice, the contracts cover prescribing and administering puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy.

The decision sparked strong opposition among conservative groups, who accuse the mayor's office of attempting to circumvent federal regulations. Gerard Kassar, chairman of the state's Conservative Party, harshly criticized the measure.

"They are making an ideological decision rather than a medical one," Kassar stated. The leader pointed out that New York is acting as if it were its own national government, a fact that, in his view, increasingly isolates the city from the rest of the country.

Major hospitals take a step back

The local administration's stance contrasts with the recent actions of two of the city's largest private hospital systems. NYU Langone and Mount Sinai agreed to end their gender reassignment practices for minors after facing scrutiny from the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump's administration.

Federal authorities classified these pediatric interventions as "gender-affirming" procedures. Faced with the threat of losing millions of dollars in research grants and vital funding from programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, both medical institutions decided to suspend the treatments.

Division in the medical community and national backlash

Mamdani's financial push comes as much of the country restricts these practices. To date, 27 states have passed laws prohibiting or restricting gender-affirming surgeries and treatments for minors, according to data from the health policy research group KFF. In November, Colorado voters will decide whether to become the 28th state to ban these procedures.

In the scientific community, the medical community remains deeply divided. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recently recommended delaying genital and chest surgeries until patients are at least 19 years old, issuing a statement noting that the natural course of pediatric gender dysphoria remains poorly understood.

In contrast, the American Medical Association (AMA) maintains its opposition to restrictive legislation, advocating for legal protection for doctors who provide hormone treatments.

While New York health authorities and the mayor's office chose not to comment immediately on the new contracts, the city is solidifying its defiance of Washington by allocating public resources to procedures under increasing medical and legal scrutiny.