
(RightIsRight.co) – In a decisive stroke, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children by targeting federal involvement in gender-affirming care for minors.
He has ignited a fierce nationwide debate about youth rights and governmental overreach by stopping federal funding for these procedures.
The order would move to restrict medical institutions that receive federal funding from providing such care — including puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgeries.
President Trump called on the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “take all appropriate actions to end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”
Medical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies categorized as “chemical and surgical mutilation” will see no federal endorsement.
The administration argues that these procedures are dangerously irreversible and require thorough reconsideration.
The U.S. government will not support minors’ transitions through hormone therapy or surgery, and the HHS has been instructed to publish a review of best practices for caring for minors with gender dysphoria within 90 days.
Trump order aims to end gender-affirming care for minors https://t.co/sW2nZwjGwH
— POLITICO (@politico) January 29, 2025
In a broader scope, the Department of Defense must remove gender-affirming care from TRICARE Coverage.
Starting in 2026, federal employee health insurance will not cover such services for minors.
Major medical institutions continue to support gender-affirming care, asserting its necessity, while critics, spurred by a British review, call for caution.
Detractors, such as Lambda Legal and other LGBTQ advocacy groups, plan to challenge the executive order. They argue it denies access to necessary and recommended medical care.
Meanwhile, twenty-six states have similarly restricted these rights, affected by research highlighting minimal youth participation in these medical treatments.
On the legal front, opposition from groups like the ACLU and Human Rights Campaign highlights concerns about the order’s constitutionality and potential harm to transgender youth.
Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson criticized it as “politicizing healthcare decisions,” reflecting fears of broader social conservative policies targeting transgender rights.
“It is deeply unfair to play politics with people’s lives and strip transgender young people, their families, and their providers of the freedom to make necessary health care decisions,” Robinson added.
The executive order also suggests legal recourse against providers by those who regret receiving gender-affirming care.
Ultimately, this order marks a major shift from Biden-era policies, already sparking lawsuits and criticisms.
Still, it also represents a crucial chapter in the socio-political struggle over transgender health rights.
Copyright 2025, RightIsRight.co