MINNEAPOLIS — As the so-called "Transgender Refuge Bill" makes its way through the State Senate after passage in the House, Minnesota's gender-affirming healthcare providers are bracing themselves for an influx of out-of-state patients.
In fact, after Governor Tim Walz's executive order declaring Minnesota as a refuge state when it comes to gender-affirming healthcare, clinics like Family Tree Clinic are already seeing an uptick in calls.
"A very frantic mother calling for her trans child," Xiomar Luna recalled, describing a call they received in the past few days. "Because she was like, this bill is about to go through and can we get in there?"
That's how Luna said they found out about Iowa's gender-affirming care ban for kids.
"And then throughout the day we got more and more and more phone calls," Luna said. "I think we got like five or something that day?"
"Some of them were saying they were planning to move here," Luna continued. "Which I can't blame them, but they shouldn't have to uproot their lives just to be treated like a human being."
Family Tree Clinic in Minneapolis has been offering reproductive health care for 50 years, and gender-affirming healthcare for about five years now.
"Over the course of the last five years, we have moved from about 60 percent of our patients coming to Family Tree for reproductive healthcare needs, and around 40 percent coming for gender-affirming care," Family Tree Executive Director Annie Van Avery explained. "And that has flipped."
In terms of that type of care, Family Tree does not offer surgeries.
"Gender-affirming care in terms of services looks like hormone care, and we provide services for pediatric patients, and adolescents and adults," Van Avery clarified.
Luna, who actually started as a patient at Family tree said gender-affirming care isn't just limited to hormone care. It also includes receiving simple medical services, while having their identity respected.
"Being able to go to get like a pap smear as someone who is masculine or a trans man, and like have that still affirmed," Luna said. "Yes, you're a man getting a pap smear, or getting an IUD."
Clinic's interim medical director Dr. Kelsey Leonardsmith said they're ready, and have already been serving folks from both outside the Metro and out-of-state.
"We will figure it out," Dr. Leondardsmith said. "If we need to help you find a pharmacy that's right on the border, we will find you a pharmacy right on the border. We will find you a clinic as close to your state as you can get where we can get your labs drawn. We can try to make it happen for you."
Leonardsmith said the clinic is hopeful for the passage of House file 146. Even with the governor's executive order, a law will provide peace of mind for so many.
Family Tree also recently received a Bush Foundation grant that will be used to train more physicians to offer gender-affirming healthcare. Dr. Leonardsmith said the grant will allow access to healthcare for trans folks outside of the Metro as well as people living in North and South Dakota.
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