The Illegal Trans Woman Ep. 63: Truth, ICE, and Local Governance with Trustee Amy Hootmaker
This week’s Big Story starts with a bit of a sidebar on ICE purportedly drawing down its agents in Minnesota. While the Trump administration claims it’s because the state has finally started “cooperating,” the reality on the ground in Chaska tells a different story. The much heavier news is that Children’s Minnesota—the largest children’s hospital in the state—is ending gender-affirming care for patients under 18 starting February 27. It’s a heartbreaking result of new federal rules threatening to cut off Medicare and Medicaid payments to any hospital providing this vital care to minors. It’s a massive blow to our “sanctuary state” status, and my heart just goes out to the kids and families caught in this political crossfire.
The Big Interview is with Amy Hootmaker, a transgender woman who was recently elected as a Trustee in Russell Township, Ohio. Amy has some deep Minnesota roots, hailing from St. Paul and White Bear Lake, and she’s got a great story about resilience. Despite being doxxed during a heated campaign, she stayed the course and won by focusing on “kitchen table” issues like property taxes and local blight. As a mental health therapist, she’s bringing some much-needed empathy and pragmatism to her local board.
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