Attorney General James Stands with Transgender Youth Against Discriminatory Executive Orders

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 17 other attorneys general today took legal action to support transgender youth and their families in their lawsuit against the Trump administration’s dangerous new restrictions on gender-affirming medical care. Attorney General James and the coalition filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit brought by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality (GLMA), and transgender youth and their families in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. In the brief, Attorney General James and the coalition urge the court to grant the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of two discriminatory Executive Orders issued by President Trump that seek to severely restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The attorneys general argue that the Trump administration’s restrictions on gender-affirming care blatantly discriminate against transgender youth based on their identity, undermining state-level anti-discrimination protections and sowing chaos among health care providers and institutions.

“The Trump administration’s policies against gender-affirming care are a direct attack on the rights, dignity, and well-being of transgender youth across our country,” said Attorney General James. “Every young person deserves access to medically necessary care without government interference. These Executive Orders are cruel, discriminatory, dangerous, and not based on science or law.”

During his first week in office, the President issued two Executive Orders threatening transgender youth: one rejecting gender identity as distinct from biological sex and barring federal funds from supporting “gender ideology,” and another banning gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of nineteen, including by threatening to cut federal funding for institutions that provide this care. In today’s brief, Attorney General James and the coalition assert that these orders are disrupting access to critical, often life-saving medical care for transgender youth and have created widespread uncertainty and fear for families, patients, and health care providers nationwide.

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that these Executive Orders challenge the states’ ability to protect their residents and directly conflict with state laws protecting access to gender-affirming health care and prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. In New York, patients have a legal right to receive medical treatment without discrimination. New York’s human rights law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression, and any health insurers covered by New York law must cover medically necessary gender-affirming care.

Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association, have recognized gender-affirming care as essential health care for transgender individuals. Studies have consistently shown that withholding such care can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide among transgender youth. The attorneys general warn that the administration’s actions will cause lasting harm to transgender individuals and prevent states from protecting their residents’ health and safety.

In the brief, Attorney General James and the coalition emphasize the severe harm these policies have already caused, including chaos for providers, the cancellation of medical appointments, disruptions in care, and increased mental health crises among transgender youth. The Trevor Project, which provides confidential counseling to LGBTQ+ youth, reported a 700 percent increase in access to its crisis services since the 2024 election and a 46 percent increase in volume following the inauguration. In the immediate aftermath of the Executive Orders, facilities across the country halted gender-affirming care for young people, citing fears of losing federal funding for healthcare unrelated to gender-affirming care.

In addition to threatening the health and well-being of transgender youth, these Executive Orders have disrupted health care systems by forcing providers to choose between following best medical practices or risking the loss of federal funding. Many institutions have already stopped providing gender-affirming care due to the uncertainty created by the orders, leaving vulnerable patients without necessary care. In New York, hospitals including the NYU Langone Hospital System, one of the largest providers of gender-affirming care in New York City, cancelled gender-affirming care appointments and suspended treatment for minors following the Executive Orders.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.