With the COVID-19 pandemic evolving rapidly across the globe, scarce medical resources have become centered around care for those who are infected with COVID-19, and so-called non-essential medical care has been set on hold. While there is general consensus about the prioritizing of COVID-19 care, a growing number of health care providers and patient representatives have expressed their concerns with the (long-term) consequences of deferring other medical care (Wang & Zhang, 2020). As this global outbreak continues to spread, inducing fear and anxiety without a clear perspective, this pandemic will especially impact those who depend on proper medical and mental health care. It is largely unknown what the (mental) health status is of the groups that remain out of scope during this COVID-19 crisis, especially those in vulnerable positions and with prior health problems. In this Guest Editorial, we express our concerns over the deferral of most gender-affirming (medical) treatments and the direct and indirect effects this might have on the public (mental) health of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people, and the health system that serves these individuals. We highlight the increased vulnerability of this group, underline the cumulative burden (eg, physical, mental, socioeconomic) for many TGNC individuals, and argue why gender-affirming medical and mental health care should be prioritized when re-introducing nonessential medical care (see also Bowleg, 2020; Wang et al., 2020)