In his most recent action against transgender people since taking office again, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that limits gender transition processes for those under the age of 19.
The directive addresses a core issue in America’s culture wars one week after Trump declared in his inauguration speech that his government will only recognize two genders: male and female.
“A growing number of impressionable children are being sterilized and maimed by medical professionals nationwide today,” the decree stated. “This dangerous trend needs to stop because it will be a stain on our nation’s history.”
The United States will “not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another,” according to Trump’s directive.
He referred to these as “chemical castration and surgical mutilation,” which included hormones, gender-altering surgery, and puberty blockers.
“Rigidly enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures,” the administration said.
Later, the president said on his Truth Social platform, “Our Nation will no longer fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support so-called ‘gender-affirming care,’ which has already ruined far too many precious lives.”
While there is no US-wide rule barring gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth, Trump ordered an end to any federal backing for such procedures.
This includes excluding financing for gender transitions under the US Defense Department’s health insurance program, which covers around 2 million children, the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income families, and the Medicare program used by retirees.
Additionally, Trump stated that he would collaborate with Congress to design laws that would enable parents and children to bring legal action against doctors who have performed gender surgery.
Last week, Trump stated at the Davos event that gender surgery “will occur very rarely” under his presidency.
Laws limiting medical care for minors undergoing gender changes have already been passed in two dozen Republican-led states.
In December, the justices of the US Supreme Court argued a Tennessee statute that prohibited hormone therapy and puberty blockers for minors under the age of 18.
