Federal Court Faces Pressure Over Transgender Healthcare Funding Block

Families are suing to block a Trump order cutting federal support for gender-transition healthcare under 19. The lawsuit, supported by Lambda Legal and ACLU, claims discrimination. Hospitals have begun canceling treatments. The lawsuit contends this order is part of Trump's broad attack on transgender rights.

Families with transgender children requested a federal court on Tuesday to intervene against President Donald Trump's directive to end federal support or funding for healthcare aiding gender transitions for individuals younger than 19. The lawsuit, filed in Maryland by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union, claims the order unfairly targets transgender individuals, alleging it exceeds Trump's executive authority. The advocacy group PFLAG is also a party to the lawsuit.

The Trump administration has not yet commented on the lawsuit. Affected hospitals, including Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and NYU Langone, have started canceling gender-affirming care appointments. This care includes puberty blockers, hormones, and sometimes surgeries. The plaintiffs, seeking a temporary restraining measure, expect immediate action allowing hospitals to continue treatments, according to a Lambda Legal attorney.

One of the plaintiffs, Kristen Chapman, relocated to Virginia from Tennessee for her daughter Willow's treatment, due to a gender-affirming care ban in Tennessee. Chapman's recent experience highlights the challenging climate under the new order, with hospitals pausing care due to funding fears, signaling broader repercussions on transgender healthcare access across the nation.