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BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict access to necessary healthcare for transgender, intersex, and nonbinary youth. The lawsuit targets recent federal actions aimed at deterring providers from offering medically appropriate care to individuals under age 19, even in states like Maryland where such care is legal and protected. The lawsuit argues that the administration is overstepping its authority by using threats of criminal prosecution and federal investigations to pressure health care providers. The coalition is asking the court to block these actions and protect access to care for patients who need it.
On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order declaring that the United States would only recognize two sexes and calling for an end to federal support for what it called “gender ideology.” A second order, signed shortly after, focused on restricting medically necessary health care for youth. It defined everyone under 19 as a child, even though states like Maryland consider 18-year-olds legal adults, it and described recognized medical treatments as “chemical and surgical mutilation.” The order directed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue enforcement actions related to this care. Since then, DOJ has issued subpoenas to providers, demanded private patient data, and suggested that criminal charges may follow. The attorneys general argue that these efforts have no legal basis and are intended to discourage providers from offering lifesaving healthcare that is lawful under state law.
The attorneys general warn that the administration’s tactics are already having an impact. In some states, providers have begun to reduce or eliminate services, and patients are reporting canceled appointments and confusion about whether they can continue their care. The lawsuit seeks to prevent further harm and to ensure that transgender youth and their families can access care without being targeted by the federal government.
Medical experts, including every major national medical association, agree that medical care is not only necessary for many transgender young people, in some cases it is lifesaving. Denying this care has been shown to worsen mental health outcomes, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
The coalition argues that these actions violate the Constitution, exceed federal authority, and undermine state laws that require equal access to medical treatment. In Maryland, laws protect patients from discrimination based on gender identity, and healthcare providers are required to treat all patients fairly and without bias. The lawsuit asks the court to block the administration’s actions and stop the enforcement of these executive orders.
In filing this lawsuit, Attorney General Brown is joined by the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, as well as the Governor of Pennsylvania.
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