
A father of a trans man voted for Trump. Now he fears an order targeting gender-affirming care will upend his son’s treatment
CNN
An executive order from Trump denying federal funding for providers of gender-affirming health care for minors threatens to upend care for many people. A Trump voter says he agrees with the president on everything but trans issues.
After undergoing surgery, Ashton Colby was confined to bed and couldn’t move his arms or carry out basic tasks. But his father Rick Colby was there every step of the way, helping him recover from his top surgery – support that meant the world from his conservative Republican father after Ashton came out as transgender and underwent the operation. Surgery is an option that some, but not all, trans people choose as a part of the broader gender-affirming care they may receive to help them with their transition. Ashton was 19 at the time. “He was there in the hotel room while helping me recover and drink protein shakes when I couldn’t use my arms. He’s made, literally, a life-or-death difference in my life,” Ashton, now 32, told CNN. Ashton had been tormented by fear that he would be rejected by his family in the weeks leading up to his coming out in 2012. But his father stood by him through therapy and doctor’s appointments, ensuring he would get the specialized care he needed to affirm his gender and thrive, which Ashton says: “Saved my life.” Rick voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, and he describes his role as an “offensive lineman” in a greater mission to fight misconceptions and legislation attacking transgender rights and health care.