Advocates in Maine are calling President Trump's executive order ending federal funding for transgender care a "horrific" abuse of power.
The order, signed Tuesday, is titled 'Protecting Children From Chemical And Surgical Mutilation.'
Bre Danvers-Kidman, executive co-director at Maine Transgender Network, said it's causing fear and confusion "that creates a specter of misinformation where a lot of people don't necessarily know what is and is not law, and will start acting in discriminatory ways, because they think that's what you're supposed to do," Danvers-Kidman said. "When in actuality, in the state of Maine, our anti-discrimination provisions are strong and remain in effect."
The immediate implications of the order are unclear. MaineHealth said it has made no changes to its transgender care services while it evaluates the order's scope and meaning.
A spokesperson for Maine's Department of Health and Human Services said state law requires coverage for gender-affirming care for patients on MaineCare, which is funded with both state and federal dollars.
