Sixteen Democratic-run states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration over its moves against access to transgender procedures and treatment.
In a 79-page lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the group accused the Trump administration of “relentlessly, cruelly, and unlawfully” targeting transgender youth and 18-year-olds. They are seeking an injunction against President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders and actions from his Justice Department seeking to cut transgender treatments for minors.
The lawsuit accused the administration of denying transgender people’s “very existence,” attempting to “banish transgender residents from the public square, and refuse them medically necessary healthcare through unlawful Executive Orders (EOs) and a raft of federal agency actions implementing those EOs.”
“The result is an atmosphere of fear and intimidation experienced by transgender individuals, their families and caregivers, and the medical professionals who seek only to provide necessary, lawful care to their patients,” it added.
The plaintiffs argued that the area of medicine is under the jurisdiction of states, and that Trump’s moves contradicted anti-discrimination laws.
The attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin all signed onto the lawsuit. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) also signed on.
New York Attorney General Letitia James outlined their argument in a statement, obtained by Axios.
“The federal government is running a cruel and targeted harassment campaign against providers who offer lawful, lifesaving care to children,” she said. “This administration is ruthlessly targeting young people who already face immense barriers just to be seen and heard, and are putting countless lives at risk in the process.”
The transgender care in question primarily includes controversial treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone replacement treatment, and surgeries. The White House has celebrated its moves to counter what it dubs “child sexual mutilation,” releasing a list last week of 12 health systems that stopped providing the procedures after government pressure.
“On Day One, President Trump took decisive action to stop the despicable mutilation and chemical castration of children — which everyday Americans resoundingly support,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers wrote in an email to Axios. “The President has the lawful authority to protect America’s vulnerable children through executive action, and the Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on this issue.”
Last month, the Department of Justice subpoenaed more than 20 doctors and clinics suspected of taking part in transgender procedures on minors. Also in July, the Federal Trade Commission held a Washington, D.C. workshop focused on the “Dangers of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ For Minors”.
DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle confirmed the Trump administration is preparing draft legislation and “working with Congress” on existing criminal laws related to “female genital mutilation to more robustly protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation.”