A coalition of 19 Democratic state attorneys general and the District of Columbia filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday to block the Trump administration’s latest efforts to curb medical care for transgender youth. The legal challenge, filed in Oregon, marks the latest escalation in a national battle over LGBTQ+ rights and federal authority.
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The lawsuit centers on a December 18 declaration by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy’s agency recently proposed rules that would:
- Defund Hospitals: Bar any hospital providing gender-affirming care to minors from participating in Medicaid and Medicare.
- Cut CHIP Funding: Prohibit the Children’s Health Insurance Program from covering these treatments.
- Scientific Review: Kennedy stated that an agency review found medical and surgical treatments for gender dysphoria in children carry an “unfavorable risk-benefit profile.”
The States’ Legal Arguments
Led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the lawsuit disputes the administration’s findings and claims the proposed rules are an illegal overreach. Key arguments include:
- Dictating Medical Standards: The states argue the federal government is attempting to override established medical science with political ideology.
- Provider Intimidation: Attorneys general claim the rules force doctors to choose between “abandoning their patients or risking their livelihoods.”
- State Authority: The suit alleges the federal government is illegally stripping states of their power to regulate medicine within their own borders.
“Secretary Kennedy cannot unilaterally change medical standards by posting a document online,” said New York AG Letitia James. “No one should lose access to medically necessary health care because their federal government tried to interfere in decisions that belong in doctors’ offices.”
Broader Political Context
This lawsuit follows a series of actions by the Trump administration to roll back transgender protections, including:
- Military Bans: Efforts to prohibit transgender individuals from serving.
- ID Restrictions: Blocking the use of gender identities on federal passports.
- Facility Bans: Prohibiting federal workers from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
While President Trump argues these moves are necessary to end the promotion of “gender ideology,” rights activists and medical professionals maintain that these policies are discriminatory and harm a vulnerable population.
