Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield has joined a lawsuit with Washington and Minnesota against the Trump administration’s executive order that blocks access to gender-affirming care for children and young adults. The order aims to cut federal funding for hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgical treatment for those under 19, which the states argue is cruel and discriminatory.
The lawsuit accuses the executive branch of trying to dictate medical care by executive fiat and violating the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee by targeting transgender individuals. The states argue that families should work with their healthcare providers, not politicians, to make decisions about personal healthcare.
The suit also highlights the potential loss of over $1 billion in federal funding for medical institutions in the three states that provide gender-affirming care. The order takes aim at these institutions and questions the scientific integrity of standards recommended by the Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
Additionally, the lawsuit speaks to the impact of the executive order on healthcare providers, who are being forced to choose between providing necessary treatment to their patients or facing criminal prosecution. It argues that gender-affirming care is medically necessary and can be life-saving, particularly for transgender patients experiencing depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
Basic Rights Oregon, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, supports the lawsuit and emphasizes the importance of letting patients and families make their own private healthcare decisions. The executive order is framed as stigmatizing and harmful to transgender individuals, and the states involved are taking a stand against what they see as unjust and dangerous legislation.
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