A federal judge has blocked President Trump’s effort to withhold funding from hospitals providing gender transition treatments to minors, setting up a significant legal battle over transgender youth rights even as Trump calls for criminalizing such procedures nationwide.
Quick Takes
- Judge Brendan Hurson issued a nationwide preliminary injunction maintaining federal funding for hospitals providing gender-transition treatments to minors.
- Trump has called for Congress to pass legislation criminalizing transgender procedures for children and has signed executive orders cutting federal funding for institutions supporting such treatments.
- Over two dozen Republican-led states have already enacted laws banning transgender procedures for minors.
- The case was brought by six transgender individuals aged 12-18 and their advocates, who argued Trump’s executive orders threatened their access to medical care.
- Senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall have proposed legislation allowing children harmed by transgender procedures to sue doctors and hospitals.
Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Executive Order on Transgender Youth Care
A federal judge in Baltimore has ruled to maintain federal funding for hospitals that provide gender-transition treatments to individuals under 19 years old. The preliminary injunction, issued by Biden-appointed Judge Brendan A. Hurson, blocks the Trump administration’s effort to withhold funds from medical facilities unless they cease providing such treatments to transgender youths. This ruling expands a previous decision that initially applied to only four states, effectively pausing the administration’s nationwide efforts to restrict gender-affirming care for minors through financial pressure tactics.
The case was brought by six transgender individuals between the ages of 12 and 18, along with parents and advocacy groups from Maryland, New York, and Massachusetts. These plaintiffs argued that their access to medical treatment was directly threatened by two Trump executive orders aimed at limiting federal support for youth gender medicine. Following the implementation of these orders, some clinics had already begun canceling appointments, affecting the plaintiffs’ ongoing care regimens. The judge found the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their claims that the orders violate laws against sex discrimination and the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantees.
"We are getting wokeness OUT of our schools & military. We will pass bill criminalizing sex changes on children & forever end the lie that they are trapped in the wrong body"
Trump rattled both wokes & liberals with just one statement 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/S8ki599cyg
— BALA (@erbmjha) March 5, 2025
Trump Pushes for Congressional Action Against Youth Gender Transitions
While facing judicial resistance to his executive orders, President Donald Trump has escalated his position by calling for Congress to pass a federal ban that would criminalize transgender procedures performed on children. In his recent Congress address, Trump emphasized his belief that children are “perfect exactly the way God made you” and signed executive orders designed to cut federal funding for schools and institutions that promote what his administration terms “gender ideology” going on to say that “I also signed an order to cut off all taxpayer funding to any institution that engages in the sexual mutilation of our youth, And now I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body.” The executive orders specifically prohibit government funding or support for gender transition attempts in children and aim to enforce laws against such procedures.
Trump’s position aligns with legislative measures that have already been enacted in over two dozen Republican-led states, which have passed laws banning transgender procedures for minors. These state-level initiatives reflect growing conservative concerns about medical interventions for transgender youth, particularly as they relate to surgeries and hormone treatments that may have permanent effects. The administration’s actions represent a significant shift in federal policy regarding transgender healthcare for minors, moving from the more permissive approach of previous administrations to one that seeks to restrict access to such treatments.
Republican Senators Propose Legislation Following Trump’s Lead
Following Trump’s executive actions, Senators Roger Marshall and Josh Hawley have proposed legislation that would restrict transgender procedures on children nationwide. Hawley specifically introduced a bill that would allow children who believe they were harmed by transgender procedures to sue the doctors and hospitals responsible for providing those treatments. This legislation directly complements Trump’s executive order blocking federal funding for hospitals performing transgender procedures on minors and represents an escalation from financial penalties to potential legal liability for medical providers.
The proposed legislation highlights the ideological divide on transgender healthcare for minors, with conservatives framing the issue as protecting children from potentially harmful medical interventions, while opponents argue these restrictions deny necessary healthcare to transgender youth. Medical associations remain divided on the appropriate treatments for gender dysphoria in minors, with some supporting gender-affirming care while others call for more cautious approaches. As these legislative and executive actions move forward, they face significant challenges not only in courts but also in the ongoing national debate about the proper balance between parental authority, medical autonomy, and government oversight in the care of transgender youth.
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Sources:
Judge Blocks Trump Orders to Stop Funds for Trans Youth Health Providers
Trump Calls For Congress To Pass Bill To End The ‘Sexual Mutilation’ Of Kids
