Democratic States Sue Trump Administration Over Proposed Curbs on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging proposed federal rules by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would restrict access to gender-affirming care for children. The legal action, brought in an Oregon federal court, marks the latest clash over policies pursued by the administration of Donald Trump aimed at rolling back legal protections for transgender people.

The suit targets rules proposed last week by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that would bar hospitals providing gender-affirming care to minors from receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds and would prevent the Children’s Health Insurance Program from covering such treatment. Kennedy said his department’s review concluded that medical and surgical treatments for minors with gender dysphoria carried an “unfavorable risk-benefit profile,” a finding the states strongly dispute.

Attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia argue the proposal unlawfully interferes with medical standards, intimidates healthcare providers and undermines states’ authority to regulate medicine. “Secretary Kennedy cannot unilaterally change medical standards by posting a document online,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit comes amid broader administration efforts to limit transgender rights, including moves affecting military service, passports and workplace policies, as the issue remains a flashpoint in U.S. politics following the 2024 election.

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