AG Bonta Files Lawsuit Against Trump Admin Over Mutilation and Child Chemical Castration Restrictions

In his 37th lawsuit against President Donald Trump since he was inaugurated in January, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the President, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice Thursday over allegedly restricting access to sex-change surgeries, or “gender-affirming health care” for transgender, intersex and nonbinary youth.

In the suit, California, along with 15 other states and the District of Columbia, challenged Trump’s Executive Order 14187, as well as several DOJ memoranda, which instituted changes to “gender-affirming care” which includes puberty-blocking medication, hormonal therapies and sex-change operations for those under the age of 19. Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Trump also claims that the regulation of medicine is a core traditional police power belonging to individual states and not the federal government, and is thus protected by the tenth amendment.

“The President and his Administration’s relentless attacks on gender-affirming care endanger already vulnerable adolescents whose health and well-being are at risk; their demands that our healthcare providers discriminate against transgender individuals and deny them access to medically-necessary healthcare is cruel and irresponsible,” said Bonta in a statement. “The Trump Administration’s unlawful threats have not only undermined State rights but have directly contributed to diminishing access to gender-affirming care. These actions have created a chilling effect in which providers are pressured to scale back on their care for fear of prosecution, leaving countless individuals without the critical care they need and are entitled to under law. Today’s lawsuit aims to address the root cause of this problem and hold the Trump Administration accountable, ensuring that we continue to safeguard and uphold the healthcare rights and freedoms of our transgender community.

“California supports the rights of transgender youth to live their lives as their authentic selves. We will not let the President turn back the clock or deter us from upholding California values. I understand that the President’s executive order on gender-affirming care has created some confusion. Let me be clear: California law has not changed, and hospitals and clinics have a legal obligation to provide equal access to healthcare services.”

While the changes have been on the books since late January, many states were slow to react as, initially, few things changed outside of hospitals pausing transgender hormonal therapy for patients under the age of 19. However, in June, the DOJ began ramping up coverage of the law, with Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate issuing a memorandum to all U.S. DOJ civil division employees directing them to “use all available resource to prioritize investigations of doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other appropriate entities in pursuit of alleged violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other laws for providing gender-affirming healthcare.”

Bonta’s latest federal lawsuit

Last month, the DOJ went even further, and issued more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics that provide gender-affirming care to those under 19. Many gender-affirming care centers also began closing down, including the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital closing the Center for Transyouth Health and Development and Gender-Affirming Care surgical program only a few weeks ago. Many providers, especially in California, began to reduce or eliminate gender-affirming care services as well. This led to Bonta and the Attorneys General of New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia to join in on the lawsuit on Thursday.

The federal government responded on Friday, saying that they would legally protect children from being mutilated because of the laws. They also cited recent court decisions, including the June SCOTUS decision banning gender-affirming drugs for children, as to how the suit would likely go in court.

“On day one, President Trump took decisive action to stop the despicable mutilation and chemical castration of children – which everyday Americans resoundingly support,” said White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers. “The president has the lawful authority to protect America’s vulnerable children through executive action, and the administration looks forward to ultimate victory on this issue.”

“As Attorney General Bondi has made clear, this Department of Justice will use every legal and law enforcement tool available to protect innocent children from being mutilated under the guise of ‘care.’” added the DOJ in a separate statement.

The suit became Bonta’s 37th against the Trump Administration so far this year, with more federal cases likely to come about in the coming months.