A lawsuit has been filed by a group of seven families, LGBTQ+ advocates, and medical organizations against President Donald Trump and his administration regarding an executive order that bans federal funding for transgender healthcare for individuals under the age of 19.
The lawsuit was filed in Baltimore federal court and is seeking an immediate injunction to postpone the implementation of Trump’s executive order issued last week.
“Hospitals nationwide have abruptly stopped medical care for transgender individuals under nineteen, leading to canceled appointments and patients being turned away after waiting years to receive necessary gender dysphoria treatment,” reads the lawsuit.
“The sudden cessation of care was the direct consequence of an Executive Order issued by President Trump on January 28, 2025—Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation—mandating all federal agencies to ‘immediately take appropriate steps to ensure that institutions receiving Federal research or education grants cease gender-affirming medical care for individuals under nineteen (the “Denial of Care Order”).’”
A transgender rights supporter takes part in a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The denial of care order came after another executive order Trump signed on Jan. 20, 2025 aimed at defending women from gender ideology extremism and reinstating biological truth in the federal government.
The plaintiffs argue that the executive orders are unconstitutional, asserting that Congress holds the power to allocate funds as per the Constitution.
“The president lacks the unilateral authority to withhold federal funds previously approved by Congress and signed into law, or to set conditions on their use when not delegated the power to do so by Congress,” states the lawsuit. “President Trump’s directives to cut funding have had immediate and tangible consequences, resulting in the termination of essential gender-affirming medical care for transgender patients under nineteen at hospitals nationwide.”
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A transgender pride flag. (Allison Dinner/AFP via Getty Images)
This lawsuit is the most recent development stemming from Trump’s recent executive orders regarding gender issues.
The executive orders, signed at the end of January, include the reinstatement of a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, a prohibition on federal funding for minors’ sex changes, and a directive for federal agencies to only acknowledge “two sexes,” male and female, in official conduct guidelines.
“This ban goes against core American values of equality and merit-based judgment,” remarked Jennifer Levi, director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), in response to the military ban on transgender individuals.
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GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) were among the first to file a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over the military ban. The lawsuit, Talbott v. Trump, was filed on equal protection grounds by six active-duty service members and two prospective enlistees, according to the organizations’ announcement.
The plaintiffs include a Sailor of the Year honoree, a Bronze Star recipient, and several individuals who received meritorious service medals. Among them are U.S. Army Reservist Lt. Nicolas Talbott, Army Maj. Erica Vandal, Army Sgt. 1st Class Kate Cole, Army Capt. Gordon Herrero, Navy Ensign Dany Danridge, Air Force Master Sgt. Jamie Hash, and civilians Koda Nature and Cael Neary seeking to enlist in the military.
Another lawsuit, filed by a transgender inmate undergoing taxpayer-funded medical treatment, challenges Trump’s executive order terminating medical transgender treatments such as hormone therapies, sex reassignment, and grooming accommodations for federal inmates.
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The inmate, known as “Maria Moe” in courtdocuments and represented by GLAD Law, NCLR, and Lowenstein Sandler LLP, claims that Trump and the Bureau of Prisons violate the Fifth and Eighth Amendments by endangering her access to necessary gender dysphoria treatment.
Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
