Three States Challenge Trump Order Halting Gender-Affirming Care Funding

Three Democratic states—Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota—have filed a lawsuit against President Trump's executive order that bans federal funding for gender-affirming care for individuals under 19. The lawsuit, led by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, argues that the order discriminates against transgender individuals, violates equal rights protections, and infringes on states' rights to regulate healthcare. Trump's order directs federally run insurance programs, including Medicaid, to exclude coverage for such care and threatens to cut off funding to hospitals and universities that provide these services. The plaintiffs contend that the order could terminate over one billion dollars in federal funding necessary for various medical services, not just those related to transgender care. As the legal challenges unfold, some healthcare providers have paused gender-affirming treatments, while officials in New York have asserted that halting such services would violate state law. This lawsuit follows another legal action filed by families with transgender children in Baltimore, highlighting a growing legal battle over transgender healthcare rights.