Trump Issues Executive Order To Stop Federal Support of Child “Chemical and Surgical Mutilation”

President Donald Trump passed a sweeping executive order related to the application of Gender-Affirming Care (GAC) on children, including 18-year-olds. The order calls upon federal agencies to “rescind or amend all policies that rely upon WPATH guidance” while calling upon the HHS Secretary to “take all appropriate actions to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”

The order begins with the statement “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.  This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.”

The HighWire reported in July about the pressure the Biden administration placed upon WPATH to remove age limits for GAC. Admiral Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary of HHS and transgender woman, applied pressure on WPATH as they were updating their guidelines in 2022. The new guidelines were released without an age limit for the first time despite concerns about “sloppy” and “opportunistic” care as well as “social contagion” concerns among teenagers.

Trump’s order calls for the HHS Secretary to publish a review of the literature within 90 days about the best methods for treating children with gender dysphoria or identity-based confusion. The head of every federal agency that provides education or research grants is called to “ensure that institutions receiving Federal research or education grants end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”

The HHS Secretary was asked to withdraw the guidance document published in March 2022 titled “HHS Notice and Guidance on Gender Affirming Care, Civil Rights, and Patient Privacy.” He also calls for the HHS Secretary to consult with the Attorney General to “issue new guidance protecting whistleblowers who take action related to ensuring compliance with this order.”

Eithan Heim, who appeared on The HighWire, is a whistleblower wrongfully charged with illegally obtaining health care information from Texas Children’s Hospital and leaking it to journalist Christopher Rufo. He revealed that Texas Children’s Hospital was still completing transgender surgeries on minors, a violation of state law and in contradiction to the hospital’s statement it had ended the practice. His case was dismissed with prejudice. The claim that he obtained the information under false pretenses was proven wrong by Haim’s lawyers.

Haim responded to the NY Times article about the dismissal of his case. The NY Times said Haim requested access to the patient database two years after he last worked there. Haim wrote, “What is it called when a major newspaper print lies about an individual and those lies serve the purpose of imbuing that individual with the perception of criminal conduct?

Trump’s order states that the Department of Defense shall take action to “exclude chemical and surgical mutilation of children from TRICARE coverage,” which is currently provided to two million children under the age of 18 in the United States. He called for an end to pediatric transgender surgeries or hormone treatments for the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) programs beginning for the 2026 Plan Year.

Trump calls for working with Congress on legislation to “enact a private right of action for children and the parents of children whose healthy body parts have been damaged by medical professionals practicing chemical and surgical mutilation, which should include a lengthy statute of limitations.”

The order also says the executive branch will prioritize investigations into “fraud” and “deception” by “any entity that may be misleading the public about long-term side effects of chemical and surgical mutilation.” The order also states the intent to “prioritize investigations and take appropriate action to end child-abusive practices by so-called sanctuary States that facilitate stripping custody from parents who support the healthy development of their own children.”

Chase Strangio, co-director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project and the attorney who argued against Tennessee’s ban in the Supreme Court, issued a statement in response to the executive order. Strangio said, “We will not allow this dangerous, sweeping, and unconstitutional order to stand.”

The Human Rights Campaign issued a press release stating, “The order includes many falsehoods about gender-affirming care, ignoring the fact that this care is supported by every major medical association, including the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, and others.”

Detransitioner Chloe Cole wrote, “The Trump Executive Order to Protect Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation is a huge step forward for the fight against gender ideology.” Detrainsitioner Luka appeared on The HighWire to tell her story in 2023.

The HighWire reported last month about the Supreme Court case in which a gender-affirming care ban in Tennessee is being challenged. The U.K. also banned puberty blockers indefinitely for children with gender dysphoria. This decision by the U.K. came largely in response to a 4-year report that Dr. Hillary Cass released. She concluded that the data doesn’t show reliable long-term evidence supporting GAC for children.

The HighWire also reported last year about a lawsuit against Fenway Community Health for failure to consider other diagnoses that could cause the patient’s symptoms. The patient later learned he had “internalized homophobia,” but was fast-tracked by the hospital through treatment for the diagnosis of gender dysphoria. Fenway Community Health attempted to claim immunity because it is protected by the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).

Any clinic that provides GAC to minors in the United States and receives federal funding of any kind may be required to stop providing this service or risk losing federal support. Johns Hopkins and Mt. Sinai are well-known clinics that provide GAC to minors and receive federal grants to conduct research.

The executive order is expected to have a significant impact on GAC access for minors if it survives the expected legal challenge.