Trump Signs Sweeping Order to Restrict Transition Care for Minors Nationwide

President Donald Trump signed a wide-ranging executive order that seeks to bar federal funding and support for gender-affirming medical care for minors, further escalating the national debate over transition-related treatment.

What the Order Does
The order — titled “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” — declares that the U.S. government will not “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support” transition-related care for anyone under 19.

Key provisions include:
The order also contains a section called “Ending Reliance on Junk Science,” which accuses WPATH of lacking “scientific integrity” and instructs HHS to conduct a review of existing medical literature.

Language of the Order
The text of the order uses inflammatory language, asserting that “medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children.” It argues that transition-related care traps minors “with lifelong medical complications” and sterilization.

“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another,” the order states.

Pushback From Advocates
Civil rights groups condemned the order as harmful to transgender youth and their families. Lambda Legal attorney Omar Gonzalez-Pagan said in a statement:

“This broadside condemns transgender youth to extreme and unnecessary pain and suffering, and their parents to agonized futility in caring for their child — all while denying them access to the same medically recommended health care that is readily available to their cisgender peers.”

WPATH President Asa Radix also criticized the move:

“Policies that restrict or ban access to necessary medical care for transgender youth are harmful to patients and their families. Healthcare decisions should be made by patients, families, and their healthcare professionals, guided by evidence-based practices, clinical guidelines, and individual needs rather than government mandates.”

The Bigger Picture
Transition-related care for minors has been at the center of political and cultural battles across the U.S. In recent years, 26 states have passed laws restricting some or all forms of gender-affirming care for minors. Research indicates that very few adolescents actually access such treatment. A 2024 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that less than 0.1% of adolescents with private insurance were prescribed puberty blockers or hormones.

Major medical organizations — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association — support access to transition-related care for minors, citing evidence that it improves mental health outcomes and reduces suicide risk.

Still, international scrutiny of the evidence has grown. In December 2024, England’s National Health Service announced an indefinite pause on prescribing puberty blockers for minors after an independent review concluded that the evidence base was “remarkably weak.” That study has since drawn criticism from some researchers and LGBTQ advocates.

What’s Next
The order is expected to face immediate legal challenges from LGBTQ advocacy groups. Courts across the country are already weighing lawsuits over state-level bans on gender-affirming care. With this executive order, the federal government is now positioned at the center of a legal and medical fight that shows no sign of slowing down.