California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading a multistate coalition, filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender, intersex, and nonbinary youth.
The latest lawsuit marks California’s 37th lawsuit against the Trump administration since President Donald Trump took office back in January.
The suit targets Executive Order 14187 and accompanying directives from the U.S. Department of Justice. The order directed the federal government to stop supporting what it described as “gender ideology” and redefined the legal age of adulthood as 19 for healthcare-related decisions.
The order led to a series of DOJ directives that initiated federal investigations of doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies involved in providing gender-affirming care, according to Bonta’s office.
The coalition argues that the actions are unlawful, exceed federal authority, and undermine state laws. California law recognizes gender-affirming care as medically necessary and prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression in healthcare settings.
“The President and his administration’s relentless attacks on gender-affirming care endanger already vulnerable adolescents whose health and well-being are at risk,” Bonta said in a statement. “These unlawful threats have not only undermined state rights but have created a chilling effect, where providers are pressured to scale back care for fear of prosecution.”
Back in February, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles announced that it is pausing transgender hormonal therapy for patients under the age of 19. In July, news broke that it would close its gender-affirming care center.
Despite the executive order, Bonta issued a reminder to California hospitals and federally funded healthcare providers of their obligations under state law to provide gender-affirming care.
“California supports the rights of transgender youth to live their lives as their authentic selves,” Bonta said in a statement. “We will not let the President turn back the clock or deter us from upholding California values. I understand that the President’s executive order on gender-affirming care has created some confusion. Let me be clear: California law has not changed, and hospitals and clinics have a legal obligation to provide equal access to healthcare services.”
California is joined in the lawsuit by attorneys general from New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, along with the Governor of Pennsylvania.