BOMBSHELL: President Trump bans gender transition treatment for under 19s
President Donald Trump continues his anti-transgender policies with an executive order banning gender transition treatments for minors. The order prohibits federal funding and redefines the term 'chemical and surgical alteration,' while promoting scientific review of gender dysphoria.


Donald Trump stepped up his anti-transgender stance on Tuesday, signing an executive order aimed at preventing federal agencies from supporting gender transition procedures for youth under 19. The order, titled "Protection of Children from Chemical and Surgical Alteration," restricts access to medical treatments including puberty blockers, hormones, and gender confirmation surgeries, and mandates that no federal insurance program can fund them.
The order explicitly prohibits any government body from funding, subsidizing, or promoting medical gender transition treatments for youth. "The United States will strictly enforce all laws restricting these destructive procedures," Trump wrote in the order. As an immediate measure, federal insurers Medicaid and Tricare (serving military personnel and their families) were directed to stop covering these treatments for those under 19.
The order also redefines "chemical and surgical alteration" to encompass not just gender confirmation surgeries, but also medical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone treatments like testosterone and estrogen. Additionally, Trump directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services - who may be Robert F. Kennedy Jr., pending Senate approval - to conduct a comprehensive scientific review on "best practices for promoting the health of children dealing with gender dysphoria."
This latest action follows Trump's previous day executive order implementing a blanket ban on transgender military service - a policy that faced legal challenges and sparked public outrage, leading to a lawsuit from six active-duty transgender service members and two potential recruits.
"This policy betrays core American values of equal opportunity and judging people by their abilities," stated Jennifer Levi, LGBTQ Rights Senior Director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders.
The move reflects a broader trend in the U.S., where many states have enacted restrictive laws preventing or limiting minors' access to gender-affirming medical care. Trump is now elevating this fight to the federal level, attempting to transform these restrictions into comprehensive national policy. The key questions now are how the public will respond and how quickly courts might intervene.
Shee contributed to this article.