President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday halting all federal funding and support for healthcare aiding transgender youth transitions. The move follows earlier orders restricting transgender rights, including a ban on their military service.
Trump framed the order as a stand against “child sexual mutilation,” targeting treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy. “The U.S. will not fund or support child gender transitions and will enforce all laws prohibiting such procedures,” the order states.
Conservative groups, including Alliance Defending Freedom, praised the move as a “return to sanity,” while critics, like transgender surgeon Marci Bowers, warned it would cause harm. Legal challenges are expected, with the ACLU and Lambda Legal vowing to fight the order.
Medical associations widely support gender-affirming care, citing its potential to reduce suicide risk in transgender youth. Despite this, over half of U.S. states have passed restrictions, with some facing legal battles. A Supreme Court ruling on Tennessee’s ban could set a national precedent.
The order seeks to block Medicare payments and weaken Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prevents insurers from denying transgender care. Trump also directed the HHS secretary to review research on transgender healthcare and enhance data collection.
Bowers, former president of WPATH, argued peer-reviewed studies support gender-affirming care for youth who consistently express their identity. Critics like the Heritage Foundation claim current medical standards are flawed and influenced by “gender ideology.”
“They’re trying to make gender binary, but that’s not biology,” Bowers said. “Biology has diversity.”
Also read: Transgender Inmate Sues Over Trump’s Gender Policy
