The Department of Justice has announced the issuance of over 20 subpoenas directed at doctors and clinics engaged in transgender medical procedures for minors. This announcement, made on Wednesday, did not disclose the identities of the medical professionals or the locations of the clinics involved. Additionally, the DOJ did not clarify what specific procedures it considers to be classified as “transgender medical procedures.” However, it did indicate that the investigations will encompass issues such as healthcare fraud, false statements, and other related matters.
Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the department's commitment, stating, “Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice.” This statement underscores a significant shift in the federal stance on transgender healthcare, particularly affecting minors.
On the same day, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conducted an all-day workshop addressing the “dangers of gender-affirming care.” In his opening remarks, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson raised concerns, suggesting that such care might be misleading and warrants more stringent oversight from the commission. This workshop, alongside the DOJ’s announcement, signals an intensification of the Trump administration’s efforts to limit transgender rights and access to transition-related medical care.
The FTC's panel featured a diverse group of speakers who critiqued transgender health care. This included individuals who had received such care as minors and expressed regret, as well as doctors and psychologists who contest existing standards for providing this type of care. Political scientists and legal experts who oppose access to transition care for minors also shared their insights.
Among the speakers, Claire Abernathy recounted her experience of undergoing a double mastectomy before her 15th birthday and her subsequent detransition at age 18. “My doctors didn’t inform me that hormones would result in permanent side effects,” Abernathy stated. “They concealed these effects from me and attempted to silence my complaints about this abuse. We must ensure that no more children are sold products they cannot return.”
A recurring theme voiced by many panelists was the assertion that individuals cannot be “born in the wrong body,” claiming that there is no substantial evidence supporting transition care as an effective treatment for gender dysphoria. Child psychologist Miriam Grossman, who has supported state legislation to ban access to transgender care for minors, stated that the belief in being born in the wrong body is “entirely unproven and unprovable.”
Ferguson noted that the FTC's primary objective is to “protect people from deceptive cures and health claims.” He announced that the FTC would issue a public request for information next week based on insights gathered during the workshop. However, the event faced significant backlash from activists and some FTC employees. Nearly 150 employees signed a statement expressing concern that the workshop would overstep by intruding into confidential doctor-patient interactions.
Former FTC executive Eileen Harrington criticized the workshop for deviating from the commission's historical practices, stating that it “engaged in a kind of overreach that we haven’t seen for over 50 years.” Harrington emphasized that the workshop’s format lacked the diversity of opinions typically invited in past FTC events.
Joe Simonson, a spokesperson for the FTC, defended the workshop, arguing that it was necessary to address the experiences of those who claim to have been harmed by medical professionals in the context of transgender health care. He asserted that the workshop was not open to public attendance due to safety concerns, citing death threats received by panelists.
In contrast, Kellan Baker, executive director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy, organized a follow-up event to present perspectives that were omitted from the FTC's workshop. Baker highlighted the importance of hearing from parents and experts in transgender health to ensure a more balanced discussion.
All major medical associations in the United States, including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Psychological Association, advocate for access to transition-related care for minors and oppose restrictions on such care. While some European countries have imposed restrictions, only the United Kingdom has placed an indefinite ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers for minors.
In the U.S., 25 states have enacted restrictions on access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy for trans minors. However, courts have blocked these restrictions in Montana and Arkansas. Meanwhile, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have measures that protect access to transgender health care. Notably, no federal laws currently restrict access to transition-related care, although the Trump administration has attempted to limit it through executive orders and actions by federal agencies.
In January, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at preventing federal funds from supporting hospitals or medical schools that provide gender-affirming care to minors, although numerous judges have since blocked portions of this order.
