Progress against the barbaric practice of gender transitions on children has surged over the past couple of years, particularly across Europe, where nations once swept up in the transgender cult have reversed course. President Donald Trump moved swiftly to protect American children after taking office in January, signing an executive order that directed his administration to end federal support and funding for these dangerous procedures. But the left refuses to let go of its grip on this harmful ideology.
Nineteen Democrat-led states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over a new federal policy that restricts gender transition procedures for minors. The suit challenges HHS's declaration that child sex changes, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries, are ineffective and unsafe for minors with gender dysphoria.
These Democrats are literally suing to preserve the ability to sterilize and mutilate children.
Trump's executive order made clear that the United States will not sponsor, promote, or support the so-called "transition" of a child from one sex to another. Following that directive, HHS issued its declaration and proposed rules warning that doctors and hospitals providing these services to minors may be excluded from participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs, which nearly all U.S. hospitals rely on. This action is designed to ensure that taxpayers aren’t funding the permanent harm of children.
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The policy is grounded in not just common sense, but countless studies worldwide over the years, including a new peer-reviewed study conducted by HHS this year, which support behavioral therapy instead of irreversible “medical” interventions for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. But this evidence-based approach hasn't stopped activists in attorney general offices from fighting back.
A group of blue-state attorneys general, led by Oregon’s Dan Rayfield, is suing over federal limits on what they call “gender-affirming care.”
"By targeting Oregon providers, HHS is putting care at risk and forcing families to choose between their personal health care choices and their doctor's ability to practice,” Reyfield said in a statement shared on X. “Healthcare decisions belong with families and their healthcare providers, not the government."
New York Attorney General Letitia James was among those joining the lawsuit.
“I'm suing [HHS] after they made an unlawful and baseless attempt to limit gender-affirming care for young people,” she said on X. “The federal government should not interfere in decisions that belong in doctors’ offices. I'll always stand up for New Yorkers’ health, dignity, and rights.”
As a New York resident, she doesn’t speak for me.
It’s funny how the same people who insist Washington has no business getting involved in these decisions are part of the same crowd who embraced sweeping government mandates during COVID.
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison echoed the familiar line that gender-affirming care is settled, evidence-based medicine that saves lives and is backed by major medical groups. It’s a talking point Democrats repeat constantly, even as more evidence of harm emerges, and detransitioners continue to speak out.
The 19 states in the coalition are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Washington, along with the District of Columbia.
But, here’s the real telling part. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also joined the suit. He is widely considered a potential 2028 Democrat contender and is often billed as more moderate than the rest of his party. Shapiro stands alone as the only sitting governor to put his name on the lawsuit, while the other 18 states are represented by their attorneys general. That distinction matters. For a politician with obvious presidential ambitions, this was a deliberate choice, not a symbolic one. It signals that he understands the current reality of his party: full-throated support for child gender surgeries and irreversible medical interventions has become a litmus test for anyone with national ambitions.
That, in turn, tells us something important about where the party really is. While much of the country new rejects mutilating children, the Democratic Party’s base remains fully committed to it, which means that the entire party still is.
