Trump administration restrictions on gender-affirming care for transgender and nonbinary youth violate the Constitution and undermine state laws that require equal access to medical treatment.
That’s according to a lawsuit filed Friday by Attorney General Rob Bonta and 14 other states and the District of Columbia.
The order threatens to pull federal funding from medical institutions that provide this type of care.
Gender-affirming care is legal and protected for people 18 years old and older in California. Certain treatments are also available to younger people with parental consent. The lawsuit comes as some of the largest medical providers in the state halt gender-affirming services.
Attorney General Bonta said that providers, fearing prosecution, have scaled back on providing gender-affirming care, which has left many patients without critical medical care.
