Can My Healthcare Provider Refuse to Treat Me Because I'm Trans?

Let’s be real: this question shouldn’t even need to be asked. But right now, it’s everywhere.

Trans people are being attacked in the news, in statehouses, and sometimes in their own doctors’ offices. Some politicians in Pennsylvania are trying to pass laws that block access to basic care. There are people online spreading lies to make others afraid of trans people—and to make trans people afraid to speak up.

Here’s the truth, in Pennsylvania, it’s illegal for a healthcare provider to refuse to treat you just because you’re transgender.

Doctors, nurses, hospitals—none of them are allowed to turn you away because of your gender identity. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act protects you from discrimination in places like hospitals and clinics. That includes being misgendered, denied care, or treated unfairly because you’re trans.

And this isn’t just talk. In 2025, a woman in rural Pennsylvania filed a complaint after she was denied treatment because she’s trans. The hospital agreed they were wrong and promised to make changes. And now, gender-affirming care is more accessible in that part of the state than it was before.

It’s easy to get confused when people are saying all kinds of things online or in the news that make it sound like trans people don’t have rights. But no matter what you hear, the truth is simple: being trans doesn’t mean you lose your right to healthcare. Not in Pennsylvania.

If you ever face discrimination, you can report it to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

You belong here. You deserve care. And no one can take that away from you.