Judge temporarily blocks Trump's ban on gender-affirming care for youth

Feb. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. District Court of Maryland Judge Brendan Hurson on Thursday issued a temporary retraining order to block enforcement of President Donald Trump's ban on gender-affirming care for youth.

Hurson's two-page ruling restrains federal agencies from "conditioning or withholding federal funding based on the fact that the healthcare entity or health professional provides gender-affirming medical care to a patient under the age of 19."

Hurson also ordered the Department of Health and Human Services and its subsidiary agencies to provide written notice of the restraining order to respective agencies and disburse all funds that were withheld due to Trump's ban.

Officials for lead plaintiff PFLAG describe the organization as the nation's largest dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating for LGBTQ+ people.

PFLAG argued the Trump administration violated the Constitution and discriminated against youth on the basis of their sex and transgender status, CBS News reported.

PFLAG also claimed a 14-year-old suffered harm when the Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., stopped prescribing or refilling medications to treat the youth's gender dysphoria.

Trump signed an executive order titled "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation" on Jan. 28 to end federal funding for gender-affirming care for minors, which the order defines as youth under age 19.

"It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures," the executive order states.

The executive order prevents federal funding for medical facilities that provide youth with puberty blockers, hormone therapies and surgical procedures designed to transition them from their biological sex to their gender identity, ABC News reported.

The order also requires federally run medical insurance programs, including TRICARE, Medicaid and the Defense Department's health care program to exclude coverage for gender-affirming care for minors.

Soon after being sworn in on Jan. 20, Trump also signed an executive order banning federal funding to promote gender ideology and affirming national policy only recognizes male and female as being the only two sexes.