El Rio, a Major LGBTQ Healthcare Hub in Tucson, Strips Transgender Care Info from Website

El Rio Community Health Center, one of Tucson’s primary nonprofit healthcare providers, has removed references to transgender health services from its website. This decision emerged following President Donald Trump’s January 28 executive order, which denies federal funding to organizations providing gender-affirming care for transgender youth under 19.

El Rio spokesperson Nathan Holaway stated, “At this time we continue to provide care for our community as we await further clarifications of the judicial process.” However, he did not confirm whether the website changes were a direct response to the executive order or if the center would still offer transgender health services to its patients.

A federal judge recently issued a temporary restraining order in Baltimore against the enforcement of the executive order. This ruling, stemming from a lawsuit by LGBTQ advocacy groups, renders Trump’s mandate unenforceable for up to 14 days, potentially extending beyond that period.

El Rio is among several hospitals and clinics nationwide that have quietly ceased to mention transgender healthcare services, joining institutions such as Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Prisma Community Care, an LGBTQ clinic in Phoenix. Following the judge’s ruling, Prisma resumed gender-affirming care as of Monday.

As of now, Tucson Medical Center maintains a section dedicated to “gender-affirming care” on its website, although it is not among the recent recipients of federal grants that would be impacted by Trump’s policy changes. Additionally, Planned Parenthood Arizona continues to list services for transgender individuals at its Southern Arizona clinic.

In the past year, El Rio has received approximately $12.3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and operates under the protections of the Federal Tort Claims Act. The center serves around 10 percent of Tucson’s population, focusing on low-income, uninsured, and underinsured patients.

For over a decade, El Rio provided essential LGBTQ healthcare services, including hormone therapy, HIV and AIDS care, and gynecological screenings, along with gender-affirming care for minors. An archived version of the center’s website from last summer featured a dedicated section for transgender health, affirming their commitment to providing respectful and quality healthcare.

Currently, the section regarding transgender health has been removed from El Rio’s website, returning an error message when accessed. An anonymous employee disclosed that transgender healthcare services for both children and adults are on hold as the center awaits clarification on federal requirements.

Furthermore, the staff reported that legal teams visited the clinic to eliminate references to gender from signage, while internal diversity, equity, and inclusion policies were modified to align with the executive order. The employee emphasized the importance of sustaining clinic operations to serve Arizona’s population while ensuring that care remains respectful and non-discriminatory.