The Trump administration’s latest move against transgender rights has ignited fierce legal opposition, as three Democratic-led states filed a federal lawsuit challenging an executive order that cuts funding for gender-affirming care. The directive, signed last month, bars federally funded health programs—including Medicaid and TRICARE—from covering treatments for transgender individuals under 19, effectively stripping access to essential medical services.
Attorney General Nick Brown of Washington state, along with his counterparts from Oregon and Minnesota, argue that the order is unconstitutional and discriminatory. “This is not just an administrative policy change—it is a direct attack on the fundamental rights of transgender Americans,” Brown stated. The lawsuit, filed in Washington’s Western District, is backed by three doctors who provide gender-affirming care and warn of the severe health risks posed by such a policy.
The consequences of the order are already being felt. Some hospitals have preemptively halted gender-affirming care for minors, while officials in New York have warned that compliance with Trump’s directive would violate state laws protecting transgender healthcare. Meanwhile, protests have erupted across the country, with demonstrators calling out the administration’s persistent targeting of trans rights.
This latest move is part of a broader rollback of transgender protections under Trump’s second term. In addition to restricting access to healthcare, his administration has renewed efforts to ban transgender people from military service, impose limits on how schools address gender identity, and bar trans women from participating in women’s sports. Civil rights groups argue that these actions are not based on scientific or legal grounds but are purely ideological efforts to erase transgender existence from public life.
For LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender youth, these policies threaten not just their rights but their very survival. Studies have consistently shown that access to gender-affirming care significantly improves mental health outcomes for trans youth. Stripping away this care will undoubtedly lead to devastating consequences, reinforcing the need for robust legal challenges and continued advocacy.