Big Story this Week
US' TRANS HEALTHCARE DENIAL
SPARKS NATIONWIDE ALARM
T
Federal employees push back
In response, employees have filed a formal complaint, asserting that the ban constitutes sex-based discrimination. They are not asking for special treatment—only equal access to medically necessary care. When healthcare policy bends to politics rather than science, vulnerable groups are left exposed.
Real people, real consequences
Behind the legal filings are real people. Federal workers describe the stress of knowing that doctor-recommended care may soon be inaccessible. Parents of transgender children face the added burden of protecting their child’s well-being while navigating rising medical costs. Removing coverage does not eliminate the need for care; it simply shifts the burden onto families already under pressure.
Evidence versus ideology
Major U.S. medical associations consistently affirm that gender-affirming care is evidence-based and often life-saving. Yet political narratives cast it as optional or controversial, forcing workers to fight for care that medicine, not ideology, recommends.
The stakes for equality
Federal employment has symbolized fairness and stability. Stripping coverage sends a clear message: transgender workers are less deserving of protection. Over time, such policies risk driving skilled employees out of public service, weakening institutions that rely on diversity, expertise, and trust.
At its core, this fight is about dignity. When federal employees must challenge their own government to receive medically necessary care, it exposes a fracture in America’s promise of equal treatment—one that will reverberate far beyond office walls.
NITIKA MISHRA | CANADA
he Trump administration’s decision to remove coverage for gender-affirming care from federal employee health insurance plans has sparked widespread alarm.
Hormone therapy and related treatments, recognized by medical professionals as essential for many transgender individuals, would no longer be covered.
For those affected, this change is not theoretical. It directly impacts physical health, mental well-being, and financial stability.
The United States is often portrayed as a defender of personal freedom and equal rights. For millions of federal employees, that promise is reflected not just in words, but in workplace protections and access to healthcare. That promise now feels uncertain for transgender workers and their families, following a policy decision that places ideology above medical need.
A mounting policy storm
Restrictions on gender-affirming care are not confined to federal plans. In 2021, states began passing bans targeting minors seeking hormone therapy (KFF). Between 2023 and 2024, more states followed suit (Wikipedia). On January 28, 2025, a federal executive order sought to bar gender-affirming care for people under 19 (Wikipedia). By early 2026, federal employees will lose coverage entirely (Reuters). This patchwork of state and federal bans leaves transgender workers in legal and medical limbo.
On January 28, 2025, a federal executive order sought to bar gender-affirming care for people under 19. By early 2026, federal employees will lose coverage entirely
AI Generated
THE WORLD THAT WAS IN 2025
It was war, WAR, deportation, apparent "aliens visiting Earth" and one man’s obsessive campaign to bully the planet into handing him a Nobel Peace Prize that defined 2025. All this, barely five years after we fled from the brink of a virus-soaked extinction. Now the only thing to watch out for is humanity's complete cerebral annihilation by the aliens! Of course, the telescopes, James Webb and Hubble, and the whole star-gazing squad — insist they’ve spotted "no signs of life". But honestly, how confident can we be? With the 'toddler tech' we’ve got, and AI with a cockroach-like brain extension, we don’t even know whether aliens are meant to be seen… or simply whispered into our heads like some cosmic group chat we didn't even sign up for? (Terrifying reference: Pluribus)
Editor's Note
The penchant was to preserve what was slipping from our fingers: The vibrancy of magazines, the colors, the design, the layout, the words, the stories, the content, the passion. Penchant was to make use of what was available now: Technology, and create an online designer mag that would smear colors and add tang to the fading flavors of the world.
We needed an eZine which would bring the world together. Unify skin colors, fade borders and highlight humanity.
We realized we had the experience, we had the team, we had the expertize. All we needed was the zeal to make it happen. We chose the younger generation's fervor and the older generation's expertize to launch CITRUS... for posterity of humankind.
The bold, tangy global eZine, first launched in 2014, known for its playful design and sharp, thought-provoking journalism, is now coming back as a polished, Gen Alpha-friendly app, ready to shake up global media again.
Fully human-powered and AI-free, Citrus promises to bring crisp reporting and fearless commentary straight from the source, with plans to place reporters in every corner of the world.
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