Michigan Trans Community Stockpiles Meds, Faces Uncertain Future as Federal Anti-Trans Pressure Mounts
As Planned Parenthood announces clinic closures across the state in the wake of federal funding cuts, access to gender-affirming care feels precarious to many
For Michigan's trans community, access to life-sustaining healthcare is growing increasingly precarious as Planned Parenthood of Michigan prepares to shutter four health centers amid what advocates describe as an unprecedented assault on transgender rights.
The April 10 announcement that clinics in Jackson, Petoskey, Marquette and one Ann Arbor location will close by April 30 has sent ripples of fear through a community already struggling to maintain access to essential gender-affirming care — leaving some scrambling to stockpile medications and others facing hours-long drives for basic healthcare services.
The clinic closures come at a time when transgender Americans face mounting threats nationwide. Independent journalist Erin Reed, who tracks anti-transgender legislation, describes the situation as "unraveling at an alarming pace" with medical care for both transgender youth and adults being “gutted, with entire states seeing widespread service shutdowns."
Recent actions by the Trump administration have heightened these concerns. In January, President Trump issued an executive order that recognizes only "male" and "female" sexes and directs federal agencies to "end the Federal funding of gender ideology.” The order mandated that the Department of Health and Human Services provide "clear guidance expanding on the sex-based definitions" within 30 days.
Roz Keith, executive director and founder of trans advocacy org Stand with Trans, has highlighted the profound emotional impact of these policy changes. "One of the most jarring concerns that's been voiced to me is that parents believe that their child will be motivated to take their life, because they will feel hopeless," Keith told Michigan Public in January. Parents are worried their "rights are being taken away, that they can no longer access gender-affirming care."
These federal actions are part of a broader pattern. While many state restrictions initially focused on transgender youth, lawmakers are increasingly targeting healthcare for transgender adults. According to a February report from Stateline, several states have introduced bills that would prohibit Medicaid coverage of gender-transition services, prevent state health professionals from providing care or bar public money for incarcerated adults seeking such care.
Meanwhile, the scale of anti-transgender legislation continues to grow. According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, 2024 was the fifth consecutive record-breaking year for anti-trans bills. Already in 2025, this trend is continuing, with hundreds of bills targeting transgender people under consideration nationwide.
"For all the promises that such policies would stop at the margins, the reality is clear: life as a transgender person in America is becoming unlivable for many," Reed writes, noting that many transgender people are considering leaving the country entirely. "When conservative leaders openly talk about 'eradication' and declare the elimination of all gender-affirming care their 'endgame,' the calculation many trans people make is a grim one — that safety may no longer be possible within U.S. borders."
Local trans community preparing for worst-case scenarios
As transgender Michiganders grapple with the Planned Parenthood clinic closures, they're doing so in an increasingly hostile national climate.
On April 14, the Department of Health and Human Services launched an online portal for "whistleblowers" to report medical providers who offer gender-affirming treatment to transgender people, including those operating within established legal state guidelines. The portal specifically encourages reporting any actions that conflict with President Trump's Executive Order 14187, titled "Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation," despite multiple federal judges having blocked this order. The administration released accompanying legal guidance on how to disclose sensitive information about doctors and patients, raising serious privacy concerns for transgender individuals seeking care.
Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s upcoming clinic closures come after the Trump administration cut millions of dollars in federal funding for family planning through the Title X program. While closing some locations, Planned Parenthood of Michigan plans to expand hours for its Virtual Health Center for telehealth services, including birth control, medication abortions and gender-affirming healthcare.
"Our decision to restructure reflects months of strategic planning and careful financial analysis," Paula Thornton Greear, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said in a news release. "These necessary changes strengthen PPMI's ability to adapt quickly in a challenging political landscape."
Nine Planned Parenthood state affiliates, including Michigan, received notices on April 8 that their Title X funding was being "temporarily withheld" due to "possible violations" of federal civil rights law and President Donald Trump's executive orders. The notices specifically mentioned "prohibitions on promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion and 'taxpayer subsidization of open borders'" as areas of concern.
Impact on care access
The Ann Arbor West clinic, set to close on April 30 and combine with Power Family Health Center about 15 minutes away, has been a crucial resource for many transgender individuals, but the situation is more dire for transgender patients in the Upper Peninsula.
Planned Parenthood is one of the leading providers of gender-affirming services nationwide and a critical lifeline for people living in rural and remote areas. Dr. Bhavik Kumar, medical director of primary and trans care at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, told NPR that over 35,000 patients across the country had sought gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy at Planned Parenthood clinics that year. The closure of the Marquette location will leave Michigan's entire Upper Peninsula more than 100 miles from a Planned Parenthood clinic, with the next closest facility nearly five hours away in Traverse City.
In response to questions about the future of gender-affirming care and potential additional closures, Jo Greep, senior director of communications at Planned Parenthood of Michigan, told Pride Source, "Right now, we have no plans for additional closures or staffing reductions beyond what has already been announced. While we are facing an increasingly hostile political climate, we are making strategic decisions to adapt and continue serving our patients and to ensure our long-term sustainability as an organization."
"That said, elections have consequences, and this is what it looks like when politicians attack and attempt to defund Planned Parenthood," Greep continued. "If threats to our funding escalate, we will do what is necessary to protect our ability to provide care. For anyone concerned about access to sexual and reproductive health care, the best way to prevent further disruptions is to demand accountability from our elected leaders."
In the face of increasing pressure from the Trump administration, Emme Zanotti, senior director of movement building and political affairs at Equality Michigan, told Pride Source that she remains appreciative that Planned Parenthood of Michigan has not backed down from its commitment to trans and gender diverse people in Michigan. "If that holds true, even under threats of significant funding losses, that level of fortitude is applause-worthy — to say the least," she added.
Broader concerns
A situation developing in Arizona offers a troubling preview of what could happen in other states. On April 12, Planned Parenthood of Arizona announced it was pausing gender-affirming care services for all patients, including adults, in response to a letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). On April 16, the organization rescinded its decision to pause gender-affirming care following intense backlash across the state, but residual fear remains.
The CMS letter cites a 1978 regulation restricting federal funding for sterilization procedures on individuals under 21, despite the fact that gender-affirming care for adults rarely causes permanent sterilization. Many transgender patients retain fertility after temporarily stopping hormone therapy, and fertility counseling is routinely offered to patients seeking such care.
The use of this decades-old regulation to pressure healthcare centers appears to be part of a wider strategy. The Trump administration had previously issued an executive order barring gender-affirming care for anyone under 19 — a category that includes legal adults — though that order has been blocked by multiple courts. The administration has appealed several of these cases.
Community response
While conducting research for this article, Pride Source contributor and independent journalist Anni Arbour found that it has become commonplace for trans community members to stockpile hormones — in Michigan and beyond. When reaching out to transgender communities online to inquire about obtaining HRT through unofficial channels, Arbour encountered significant paranoia and hostility.
"While most respondents were polite, some were vicious," Arbour said. "I've been accused of being a police 'plant,' a 'snitch,' and flat-out suspected of not being trans at all. Some of the comments have been truly insulting."
Arbour's research confirmed that stockpiling of hormones "is definitely ongoing" but noted that stockpiling has been widespread since before Trump's second election. “Some trans people have been hoarding hormones for a while just in the case that they were ever banned," she noted.
Transgender community member Guinevere, who did not wish to provide a last name, said she is worried about what she sees as “increased gatekeeping” and the paper trails that are created when accessing care that could indicate to the government that she’s trans. “I’m scared to seek treatment for other mental health issues from a psychiatrist because I worry the diagnosis I know I would get would create a barrier to getting HRT,” she explained.
“As far as paper trails go, Trump has indicated a desire to send citizens to El Salvador, where they are taken to a facility that I would describe as a concentration camp. With this administration’s rank lawlessness, I’m worried about compromises to HIPAA privacy, especially under circumstances where they aim to remove trans people from public life in the U.S. While I don’t think I’ll lose access to hormones anytime soon, options will get more fragile and less safe.”
Advocates frequently point to Florida as a troubling model where regulatory changes in 2023 led to the elimination of approximately 80% of transgender adult care in the state, forcing many patients to cross state lines for treatment.
Jaclyn Lahti, a local trans community member, expressed deep concern about the current climate for transgender healthcare in Michigan. "I haven't been given any guidance by healthcare providers when it comes to potential interruptions in care," Lahti said. "All of my friends have discussed plans to some degree — we're all rather worried about what might happen if the current administration gets more bold in its actions."
Lahti describes taking matters into her own hands, rationing medication to build a reserve. "I've started using my estrogen vials more times than recommended in order to save as much as I can should things get worse. I've also sped up the process of getting my orchiectomy so, worst case scenario, if my access to HRT becomes blocked I won't be hit with T. Unfortunately, insurance is set on blocking that."
She noted that stockpiling isn't the only contingency plan among her circle. "Friends are also buying HRT from abroad in bulk and stockpiling it past expiration dates to save for when the time comes. Moving to another state, or even out of the country, is on my mind and most of my close friends' minds given the state of everything."
The emotional toll is significant, Lahti added. "We're weathering the storm, but it's definitely taking a toll on all of us. In my personal opinion, it really feels like we're in Weimar, Germany and it's only a matter of time before we get targeted in even more ways reminiscent of Nazi Germany."
Lahti also expressed fears about Michigan's political future. "There's also a real fear of Michigan going red, especially with [Mike] Duggan planning to run as an independent in 2026 — it worries me that if the election is a lost cause, I'll have to move."
Note: Lahti is a member of the Pride Source Media team.
Uncertain future
The current administration's approach to reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare has Planned Parenthood preparing for further challenges.
"In the coming weeks and months, additional attacks against sexual and reproductive health care providers are expected," Thornton Greear said in the news release, citing potential restrictions on medication abortion, Medicaid coverage and further limitations on Title X funding.
Reports indicate that the Department of Health and Human Services may be preparing to release a review targeting transgender healthcare for both youth and adults. In his campaign materials, President Trump has stated his intention to investigate gender-affirming care for transgender people of any age.
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule later this year on a case challenging Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care (U.S. v. Skrmetti). The Court's decision could have far-reaching implications for similar bans nationwide, as several states have paused their legal challenges pending this ruling.
Conservative groups have celebrated the closures. Right to Life of Michigan President Amber Roseboom called the news "good news for Michigan women" in a statement on April 11.
For Michigan's transgender community, the uncertainty adds another layer of stress to an already challenging political climate.
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