Washington to win summary judgment protecting health care for transgender youth

A federal court said on Thursday that it would rule for Washington, 20 other states, and the District of Columbia, turning back an unlawful attempt by the Trump administration to pressure health care providers into ending transgender health care for youth with gender dysphoria.

In an oral statement following yesterday's hearing, U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai said he would grant the states' motion for summary judgment with a written order to follow.

"This is a resounding win for the rights of youth, their families, and the rule of law when it comes to medical care," Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said. "The court agrees that the administration ignored the law in its rush to deprive transgender youth of the health care they are legally entitled to."

The judge explained that U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., exceeded his statutory authority. In December, Kennedy issued a so-called "declaration" falsely claiming that certain forms of gender-affirming care are "unsafe and ineffective" and threatening to exclude medical providers from Medicaid and Medicare for providing that care. The judge said HHS failed to follow appropriate rulemaking procedure as required by law and that he will set aside Kennedy's declaration.

Joining Brown in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Oregon, New York, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the governor of Pennsylvania.

Learn more about the case here.

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