Washington — A federal judge in Maryland ruled on Thursday to temporarily block President Trump’s executive order that limits access to gender-affirming care for individuals under 19, according to the advocacy groups contesting the order. This ruling presents a challenge to the Trump administration’s initiatives directed at what it deems “gender ideology” as the case progresses legally.
The ACLU, which is advocating for a group of transgender youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria along with LGBTQ advocacy organizations, stated that U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson issued a temporary restraining order following a hearing on their request to halt the enforcement of these restrictions.
The plaintiffs assert that the actions by the Trump administration contravene the Constitution and constitute discrimination based on sex and transgender identity.
According to Mr. Trump’s executive order, federal agencies must ensure that medical facilities receiving federal research or education funding cease what he refers to as the “chemical and surgical mutilation of children,” which is defined as affecting those under 19. The medical interventions encompassed by this directive include puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and surgical procedures.
“The United States’ policy is that it will not finance, endorse, promote, assist, or support any so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will strictly enforce all laws that limit or prohibit these harmful and transformative procedures,” the directive states.
Additionally, Mr. Trump’s order mandates that federal insurance programs such as TRICARE, the Defense Department’s healthcare initiative, and Medicaid exclude gender-affirming care for minors from their coverage provisions.
This action followed a series of executive orders initiated by the president on his first day back in office, which prohibits the allocation of federal funds to promote “gender ideology” and asserts that U.S. policy recognizes only “two genders, male and female.”
