SEATTLE — Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown is filing a lawsuit in an effort to halt a presidential order that threatens to end federal funding to medical institutions providing pediatric gender-affirming care.
President Donald Trump’s executive order would halt hundreds of millions of dollars in funding and would have criminal repercussions against medical professionals and patients under the age of 19 involved in such care.
“This order is part of a larger political effort to strip away civil rights from entire communities. The president’s cruelty is on full display with this dehumanizing executive order, along with his disdain for the Constitution,” Brown said. “His actions are harming Washington’s youth, parents, and health care providers.”
The suit argues that his order violates the 5th Amendment’s equal protection guarantee by singling out transgender individuals for mistreatment and discrimination. Additionally, Congress has already authorized research and education funding for medical institutions in Washington state, and the president cannot unilaterally overrule congressional intent, according to the AG’s Office.
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Brown also said that the president cannot “unilaterally regulate or criminalize medical practices in Washington state, which are protected by the 10th Amendment.”
Washington is joined in the suit by the attorneys general of Minnesota and Oregon. Three individual doctors are joining as plaintiffs in the case, representing themselves as well as their minor patients for whom they care. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
“President Trump’s attempt to withhold federal funds from states that offer health care to transgender Washingtonians is unlawful and cruel,” said Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson. “Washington is a place that supports every resident’s civil rights. My team is working closely with the Attorney General to ensure Washingtonians are protected from illegal federal actions.”
It should be noted that gender-affirming care is not just for transgender individuals. Procedures like breast augmentations, hair transplants and other similar medical or cosmetic procedures are also considered gender-affirming care. It appears that Trump’s executive order was intended to particularly target transgender individuals.
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