Wed Jan 29 02:33:53 UTC 2025: ## Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Federal Funding for Gender Transition Care for Minors
**Washington, D.C. –** President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, effectively ending federal funding for gender-affirming care for transgender individuals under the age of 19. The order, using strong language that contradicts medical consensus, directs the halting of coverage for such care through programs like TRICARE and Medicaid, and calls for legal action against hospitals and universities providing these services.
The order uses terms like “maiming,” “sterilizing,” and “mutilation” to describe gender-affirming care, labeling guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health as “junk science.” This directly clashes with the position of major medical organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which support access to such care.
The executive order has drawn swift condemnation from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and medical professionals. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson criticized the order as a “brazen attempt” to interfere with medical decisions and deny evidence-based healthcare. The American Civil Liberties Union is reviewing the order to determine its immediate impact.
Families of transgender minors are expressing deep concern about the potential impact on their children’s access to vital care. Melissa Baern, a mother of a transgender teenager, voiced fears about her daughter’s future access to hormone therapy and the potential consequences for her mental health.
This action is the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to roll back protections for transgender individuals. On Monday, an order was issued to review the military’s policy on transgender service members, potentially leading to their exclusion. Another order redefined sex as strictly male or female, resulting in the State Department halting the issuance of passports with an “X” gender marker.
Public opinion on banning gender-affirming care for minors is divided, with slightly more voters opposing such bans than supporting them, according to AP VoteCast data from the November election. However, Trump’s voters overwhelmingly supported such bans. The ACLU’s Harper Seldin characterized the order as an attempt to “single-mindedly drive out transgender people.”
The order is expected to face legal challenges, given the ongoing litigation surrounding similar state-level restrictions on gender-affirming care. At least 26 states have already enacted such restrictions, most of which are facing lawsuits.
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