Trans young adults and parents sue over Trump's orders restricting transition care
Two transgender young adults and five families of trans minors filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging two executive orders President Donald Trump issued over the last two weeks that aim to prohibit federal funding of transition-related health care for anyone under 19, and define sex as biological, only male and female and unchangeable.
Two transgender young adults and five families of trans minors filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging two executive orders President Donald Trump issued over the last two weeks that aim to prohibit federal funding of transition-related health care for anyone under 19, and define sex as biological, only male and female and unchangeable.
“The Executive Orders were issued for the openly discriminatory purpose of preventing transgender people from expressing a gender identity different from their sex designated at birth—and expressing governmental disapproval of transgender people who, by definition, have a gender identity that does not align with their sex designated at birth,” the lawsuit states. “These Orders are part of a government-wide effort by the Trump Administration to restrict legal protections and essential services for the transgender community.”
One of the plaintiffs, Kristen Chapman, said she and her family moved to Virginia in the summer of 2023 after their home state of Tennessee passed a law banning gender-affirming medical care for trans minors like her 17-year-old daughter, Willow. The family struggled to find a provider in Virginia who would accept Medicaid, which is a government health care program for people with limited income. Chapman said the family paid for Willow’s care out of pocket, but it became “prohibitively expensive.” After trying for a few months, she said they were finally able to schedule an appointment for Jan. 29 at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, which would take Medicaid.
“The day before our appointment, President Trump signed the executive order at issue in this case. The next day, just a few hours before our appointment, VCU told us they would not be able to provide Willow with care,” Chapman said in a statement shared by the ACLU. “I thought Virginia would be a safe place for me and my daughter. Instead, I am heartbroken, tired, and scared.”
The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of the District of Maryland, requests that a judge immediately block the executive orders, which it argues are illegal and unconstitutional because the president does not have the authority to withhold federal funds that have been previously approved by Congress. The suit also argues that the order restricting transition care violates parents’ fundamental rights and the rights of trans people under 19 by discriminating against them based on sex, as the order allows people under 19 who are not trans to continue receiving the same treatments for other medical conditions.
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