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(TJV) Just hours after issuing an executive order restricting transgender service in the U.S. military, President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed another sweeping directive targeting gender transition treatments for minors. The order, titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” bans federal funding for gender-affirming medical care for children and takes direct aim at puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical interventions for individuals under 19.
The executive order implements broad restrictions across multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Justice (DOJ). It specifically prohibits federal funding, promotion, or support for medical interventions related to pediatric gender transitions.
According to the Tampa Free Press, the order includes the following key measures:
- Defunding Medical Institutions: Hospitals and schools that perform pediatric gender-transition procedures will lose access to federal research and education grants.
- TRICARE Coverage Restrictions: The Department of Defense will bar military health insurance (TRICARE) from covering gender-affirming treatments for minors.
- Insurance Policy Changes: Federal Employee Health Benefits and Postal Service Health Benefits programs will no longer provide coverage for transgender-related surgeries or hormone therapies for children.
- Consumer Protection Enforcement: The DOJ is directed to investigate potential fraud or deceptive practices related to gender-affirming treatments, including violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
“Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing impressionable children,” the order states, describing these procedures as a “stain on our Nation’s history.”
The directive also mandates a comprehensive review of the scientific research on gender dysphoria. Within 90 days, the Department of Health and Human Services must issue new guidance to replace existing standards—such as those from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)—which the order claims lack “scientific integrity.”
Escalating the Administration’s Broader Agenda
This executive order marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and limit gender-related policies in government and public life. It follows prior executive actions that eliminated DEI programs in federal agencies and education.
Additionally, the order authorizes federal law enforcement to challenge state policies that support gender-affirming care for minors. It directs the DOJ to draft legislation that would allow parents and children to sue medical professionals who provided gender-transition treatments.
With such sweeping measures in place, legal challenges are almost certain. It is likely only a matter of hours before civil rights groups take action to block the order and defend access to gender-affirming care for minors.
