This week marked Transgender Day of Visibility, an international day dedicated to uplifting members of the trans community while showing support for the protection of transgender rights.

Some Chicago hospitals that have been on the forefront of providing gender-affirming care to patients under the age of 19 have pulled back on those services.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline will close its specialized services program for LGBTQ+ youth on July 17.

For many in Chicago’s transgender community, the order and other policies of the new administration are cause for concern. They say the policy focus on transgender people is a distraction from other national issues.

For transgender and gender non-conforming people, the process of changing your name and getting documents to reflect those changes can be a burden. How two new laws in Illinois aim to ease that process.