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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aiming to prohibit medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender. The order specifies that the government will not support or fund the transition of children from one sex to another and emphasizes the enforcement of laws that limit these procedures.
The order states, "Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions." It further describes this trend as a significant issue in national history.
Currently, 25 Republican-led states have enacted laws restricting or banning such surgeries or treatments for minors. However, some of these bans face legal challenges, as noted by the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ policy organization.
A notable legal case is United States v. Skrmetti, which challenges a similar law in Tennessee. The pending Supreme Court ruling on this case could influence future legislation across other states.
Supporters argue that these restrictions protect minors from making irreversible decisions they might regret later in life. In contrast, critics suggest that denying these interventions could lead to mental health issues or increased risks of self-harm among minors.
Research by the UCLA Williams Institute in 2022 estimated about 1.6 million transgender individuals in the U.S., with nearly half aged between 13 and 24. Another study published in JAMA Pediatrics reported that 926 adolescents with commercial insurance received puberty blockers from 2018 to 2022, none under age 12. This study did not account for those covered by Medicaid.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Doctrine released guidance opposing interventions involving surgical or chemical techniques altering sex characteristics. The document argues such actions do not align with human nature's fundamental order and may harm individuals instead of helping them.
Kate Scanlon reports on national issues for OSV News in Washington.
