News
Recent developments in gender care and gender policy — in the Netherlands and worldwide.
Why the news about gender changes so quickly
Until about 2020 the guidelines for gender care for minors were regarded as more or less settled in most Western countries. Since then several countries have revised their policy after their own independent assessments of the scientific evidence. In 2020 Finland advised treating psychosocial support as the first step. In 2022 Sweden restricted hormonal treatment of minors to exceptional cases. In England the final report of the Cass Review appeared in April 2024. Already in March 2024, before that final report, the health service NHS England had decided to stop the routine prescribing of puberty blockers, and the Tavistock gender clinic closed.
That shift has not gone in the same direction everywhere. In November 2024 Germany introduced a self-determination act under which the registered sex can be changed with a declaration at the civil registry. In the United States the dividing line runs right through the country: some states restrict the medical treatment of minors, others actually protect it. The US Supreme Court ruled in June 2025 that a state may introduce such a restriction. The UK Supreme Court determined in April 2025 that the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the British equality legislation refer to biological sex.
What kinds of reports you will find here
The reports in this section fall roughly into four groups. First, policy and legislation: decisions by governments, regulators and health insurers on what is and is not reimbursed or permitted. Second, case law: rulings on medical treatment, on sport, on access to facilities that are separated by sex and on the freedom of expression of doctors, teachers and journalists. Third, science: new studies, systematic reviews and the criticism that follows them. And fourth, the public debate itself: what the media do and do not cover, and which meetings go ahead or are cancelled.
Much of the news comes from abroad, especially from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and the Scandinavian countries. That is where the largest studies have been done and the most far-reaching decisions taken. What happens there has an effect in the Netherlands, because the treatment of young people with puberty blockers was developed in Amsterdam and became known internationally as the Dutch Protocol. The Dutch side of the story can be found under the Dutch developments.
How to read a news report about gender care
A report about gender care can only be judged properly once it is clear what kind of event lies behind it. A court ruling says something about what is legally permitted, not about what is medically sensible. A new study is one study, with its own design and its own limitations; a systematic review weighs all available studies against each other and therefore carries more weight. A policy decision is a choice by administrators, which may rest on evidence but also on political considerations.
Also pay attention to the group concerned. What applies to adults does not automatically apply to children, and outcomes in young people who already presented as children do not simply apply to teenagers whose symptoms only began in puberty. The length of follow-up also matters: satisfaction shortly after a treatment says little about how someone looks back on it ten years later.
Background to the news
Anyone who wants to see a report in a wider context can turn to the timeline of gender care, which lists the key moments. The overview policy by country shows how individual countries have organised care and legislation, and under international developments you will find the organisations and treaties that have influence across borders. The legal side, from registration of sex to equal treatment, is worked out under legal.
Latest news
Foto: Márton Novák via Pexels9 October 2026
Dutch House of Representatives to fly rainbow flag after roll-call vote
On Coming Out Day, the rainbow flag will fly at the building of the Dutch House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) for the first time. The House decided this on 8 October 2026 by 90 votes to 36, after the Presidium had withdrawn an earlier decision following a procedural objection from the SGP.
AI-generated illustration8 October 2026
Therapy First and Genspect clash over the approach to gender care
At Therapy First’s annual conference in New York in early October 2026, it became clear just how divided even the cautious side of the gender debate is. Therapy First remains committed to a therapy-first approach that leaves room for later medical steps; Genspect categorically rejects medical transition for minors — and the departure of a critical social worker exposes the tension between the two.
Photo: Valentin Ivantsov via Pexels8 October 2026
Australian Educational Materials Remove Sex from Biology Lessons — and Call It Inclusive
New Australian teaching materials and government guidelines replace “boys have penises” with “bodies with penises” and explain reproduction without human figures. A retired sexologist warns that this leaves children without the vocabulary to talk about their own bodies.
Photo: Hustvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons7 October 2026
Colorado lets voters directly decide on ban on gender surgery for minors
On November 3, 2026, Colorado residents will vote directly on a ban on gender surgery for minors through Proposition 135—the first time a traditionally Democratic state has put the issue to voters in this way. Notably, Colorado hospitals already rarely perform such procedures on minors.
AI-generated7 October 2026
U.S. Medicaid rule ends coverage of hormones and surgeries for gender-related care for minors
Starting October 13, 2026, the US Medicaid program will no longer cover puberty blockers, hormones or gender-affirming surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria. Four families in New Hampshire and a group of states are taking the matter to court — the case exposes an old dispute: how solid is the evidence, really?
Photo: Chaddy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons30 September 2026
Germany Struggles with Its Self-Identification Law: AfD Wants to Repeal It, CDU Seeks a Middle Ground
Following the AfD’s election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, party members have submitted motions to roll back Germany’s Selbstbestimmungsgesetz. What is justified criticism of the law, and what is merely political?
Photo: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons29 September 2026
Northern Irish Conversion Practices Law Threatens Therapy
In Belfast, a panel of legal experts and clinicians warned that the Northern Irish Conversion Practices Bill is worded so broadly that it could also cover careful, exploratory therapy for gender dysphoria.
AI-generated24 September 2026
Australia launches national review of puberty blocker guidelines
Health Minister Mark Butler has asked Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council to provide urgent advice on puberty blockers. This puts the outdated guideline from Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital under renewed pressure, years after the United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland had already taken action.
Photo: Steven Lek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons23 August 2026
More than 4 in 5 young people referred to Amsterdam UMC started medical treatment
A study by Amsterdam UMC (VUmc location) followed 1,470 young people referred to the gender clinic between 2009 and 2019. Of these, 1,206 — 82% — started puberty blockers or hormones. In around 7% of all referred young people, the clinic determined that there was no gender dysphoria.
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons22 August 2026
Singapore bans hormonal and surgical treatment for gender dysphoria in minors
In May 2026, Singapore’s Ministry of Health issued its first official guideline on gender dysphoria in young people: no hormones or surgery under the age of 18, with an exception between 18 and 21 possible only after an extensive assessment. Singapore is thus joining the United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland in an international trend toward greater restraint.
AI-generated22 August 2026
Trump's FDA nominee Heidi Overton previously opposed gender-affirming care for minors
President Trump has nominated physician Heidi Overton to serve as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While working at the conservative America First Policy Institute, Overton previously wrote critical reports on gender-affirming treatments for minors and telehealth abortion pills. She still needs to be confirmed by the Senate.
Photo: 颐园居, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons22 August 2026
U.S. Supreme Court rules: states may bar trans women from girls’ and women’s sports
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled by a 6–3 vote that Idaho and West Virginia may exclude transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s school sports teams. The decision leaves similar laws in 29 states intact, but explicitly does not address other issues such as bathrooms and identity documents.
Photo: Daniel Ogren, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
J.K. Rowling Surprises with Confirmation: Adults with Gender Dysphoria May Benefit from Surgery
A brief response from Rowling on X caused confusion and controversy on August 19, 2026 — but anyone familiar with her 2020 essay will recognize a position she has held for years, one that is often denied in gender-critical debate.
AI-generated21 August 2026
Idaho makes toilet use by transgender people a criminal offense — judge immediately blocks law
With HB 752, Idaho introduced a law that could send transgender people to prison for up to five years for using the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. Six transgender Idaho residents filed a lawsuit with the ACLU and Lambda Legal, and a federal judge has already halted enforcement — partly because law enforcement itself says it does not consider the law enforceable.
Photo: De-okin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
German justice ministers and UN rapporteur call for tighter self-identification law
As Germany’s Selbstbestimmungsgesetz undergoes evaluation this year, the justice ministers of the federal states are calling for stronger safeguards against abuse, while a UN rapporteur warns that the law does not adequately protect women and girls.
Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
U.S. Department of Education Investigates Women's College Smith Over Admission of Trans Women
The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into Smith College, one of the last women’s colleges in the United States, because the institution has admitted anyone who identifies as a woman since 2015. According to the government, this undermines the statutory exception that protects women’s colleges under Title IX.
21 August 2026
UK court clears the way for controversial puberty blocker trial involving 226 children
The UK High Court has dismissed a legal challenge to a new puberty blocker trial. Critics, including detransitioner Keira Bell, argue that the research does not meet the ethical and legal thresholds for research involving vulnerable children.
Photo: Zereshk, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
Texas’s Largest Children’s Hospital Must Open a Detransition Clinic After $10 Million Settlement
The Texas attorney general forced the largest children's hospital in the United States to agree to a ten-million-dollar settlement after whistleblowers revealed that the hospital had secretly continued providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors. Within three months, it must open a free detransition clinic — the first of its kind in the country.
Photo: Mutney, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
British Code of Practice for Women's Spaces Comes into Force
Since 5 August 2026, an official code of practice has applied in England, Wales and Scotland: sex-segregated spaces must be organised according to biological sex. The rule follows the UK Supreme Court’s ruling and has caused division in Parliament.
AI-generated21 August 2026
U.S. school district requires staff to always report a student’s social or gender transition to parents
Since August 11, 2026, Carson City, Nevada, has required school staff to inform parents as soon as a student socially transitions or transitions in terms of gender at school—one of the first local implementations of the Supreme Court ruling that restored parents’ right to information.
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
U.S. ACOG Section Chair Resigns After Criticism of WPATH Guidelines
Gynecologist Karla Solheim performed gender-affirming hysterectomies herself until she took a critical look at the underlying WPATH guidelines. Her professional association, ACOG, gave her a choice: remain silent or resign.
Photo: WMrapids, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
U.S. Hospital Pays $410,000 After Firing Healthcare Worker with a Conscientious Objection to Gender-Affirming Care
A Michigan hospital in the United States has agreed to pay $410,000 to a physician assistant who was fired in 2021 for refusing, on religious grounds, to participate in gender care. The hospital is now introducing a new conscience objection policy.
AI-generated21 August 2026
UZ Ghent under fire: daughter referred for mastectomy within a week
A father tells De Morgen how his underage daughter was referred for a mastectomy after a single psychiatric consultation, with the procedure taking place a week later. Vlaams Belang is demanding an independent review of Belgium’s gender clinics; doctors and the responsible minister acknowledge that the field is still in its infancy.
Photo: Joehawkins, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
Women’s rights debate scrapped in Belfast: yet another platform disappears as soon as gender enters the conversation
The Women's Rights Network was due to hold a debate at Belfast's Féile an Phobail festival on women's rights, trans athletes in women's sport and separate facilities. The organisation cancelled the panel without explanation — and JK Rowling offered to cover the legal costs of challenging the decision.
Photo: Mondberg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons21 August 2026
Damning review of Australian gender clinic: 12-year-olds given puberty blockers without proper assessment
A review of the paediatric gender clinic in Cairns, Australia, describes a “negative patient safety culture”: twelve-year-olds were prescribed puberty blockers without appropriate assessment, patient files lacked consent documentation, and previous warnings were ignored.
AI-generated21 August 2026
American report: Universities are building dozens of gender-neutral restrooms as Title IX lawsuits pile up
A new report by CriticalRace.org maps how many U.S. universities now offer multi-stall restrooms without sex-based separation. Following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on women’s sports, observers expect these facilities to face legal challenges as well.
Photo: Mike van Schoonderwalt via Pexels21 August 2026
American sports columnist resigns after editors block his article about women’s sports
Matt Calkins, a sports columnist at The Seattle Times for eleven years, resigned after his editors refused to publish a column about women’s sports and transgender athletes — an incident he said fit a pattern of articles that contradicted the prevailing editorial line.
Photo: Twelvizm, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons20 August 2026
U.S. appeals court blocks placement of trans women in Oregon women’s prisons
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has suspended a court order requiring Oregon’s prison system to place trans women in women’s prisons by default. The case goes to the heart of the tension between self-identification and the safety of female inmates.
AI-generated20 August 2026
American Mother Sues School over Secret Gender Policy and Exclusion Order
A mother in Portland, Oregon, is suing the school district after receiving a no-trespass order for distributing protest letters opposing the gender policy at her children’s elementary school. The case goes to the heart of the debate over parental rights and transparency in education.
The policy field around gender and gender care is changing fast. In recent years several European countries — Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Norway — have fundamentally adjusted their policy for minors after new scientific evaluations. The British Cass Review (2024) confirmed the policy that the NHS prescribes puberty blockers only within research. In the United States policy is strongly polarised along party lines, while in Australia and Germany new legislation was introduced.
In the Netherlands the adjustment of policy is proceeding more slowly than in surrounding countries. The original Dutch Protocol is still largely followed, while international criticism of its scientific basis is growing. At the same time, in 2023 and 2024 several critical publications appeared in the Dutch media about the care model, the waiting lists and the experiences of people who have detransitioned.
The full file on the Dutch Protocol — origin, evaluations and criticism — is on dutchprotocol.nl.
This section collects the most important developments in the Netherlands and abroad — legislation, policy reports, clinical guidelines, media files and court rulings. The information is updated regularly on the basis of public sources, with explicit source references for each event.
Would you like to place a development in context? The page on gender in children and young people explains how the care pathway for minors works in the Netherlands and what the Cass Review changed. The page on detransition deals with reasons, figures and experiences of people who have reversed their transition.
For the original sources we refer to our archive with newspaper articles, books, scientific publications and official reports. More extensive analyses and files can be found under science and debate. Is a development missing or is something incorrect? Let us know via the contact form.
Dutch developments
Policy, legislation and public debate within the Netherlands.
International developments
Foreign care systems, legislation and reports.