Attorney General Bonta Files Lawsuit Against Trump Administration’s Unlawful Attacks on Gender-Affirming Care

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, leading a multistate coalition, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s efforts to restrict access to healthcare for transgender, intersex, and nonbinary youth. The lawsuit targets recent federal actions — including President Trump’s Executive Order 14187 and its implementing memoranda from the U.S. Department of Justice (U.S. DOJ) — targeting the provision of medically necessary gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19, even in states like California where such care is legal and protected. In today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the Trump Administration’s actions have no legal basis and should be declared unlawful and vacated in their entirety to protect access to care for patients who need it.

“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 Attorney General Bonta. “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.”

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 the Administration called “gender ideology.” Executive Order 14187, signed shortly after, focused on restricting healthcare for youth. It defined everyone under 19 as a child, even though states like California consider 18-year-olds legal adults, and described recognized medical treatments as “chemical and surgical mutilation.” The order directed the U.S. DOJ to pursue enforcement actions related to this care, steps which were outlined in a memorandum issued by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 22, 2025 (Bondi Directive). Following the issuance of this directive, on June 11, 2025, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate issued a memorandum (Shumate Directive) 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.

On July 9, 2025, the U.S. DOJ issued a press release announcing that it had issued more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics that provide gender-affirming care to adolescents. In the release, Attorney General Bondi stated that “[m]edical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice,” making it clear that the subpoenas and investigations subject providers to the threat of prosecution for providing gender-affirming care to adolescents pursuant to three federal statutes that have nothing to do with the provisions of this medical care. 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.

In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the Trump Administration’s implementation of Executive Order 14187, Section 8 is unlawful and undermines State rights by stripping States of their power to regulate healthcare provided to their own residents. Executive Order 14187 further targets gender-affirming care for transgender individuals under the age of 19 — a category that includes persons who have reached the age of majority — by intimidating providers through threats of civil and criminal prosecution laws unconnected to the lawful provision of this care. California recognizes gender-affirming care as medically necessary healthcare that respects the gender identity of the patient, as experienced and defined by the patient. In California, gender-affirming care is a right protected by state law. Additionally, California law also prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, gender dysphoria diagnosis, or intersex status in the provision of healthcare services, including gender-affirming care. The Trump Administration’s attempt to unlawfully end the use of medically necessary gender-affirming care undermines States’ anti-discrimination laws and places providers at risk of violating state laws.

The coalition also highlights how the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on gender-affirming care have caused confusion and fear among providers, transgender individuals under the age of 19, and their families. As a result of these attacks, providers have been pressured to cease providing gender-affirming care in light of the threats to their licenses, livelihoods, and liberty. Acceding to Trump Administration’s demands forces hospitals, providers, and others to potentially violate States’ anti-discrimination and age-of-majority state laws, while also causing direct harm to transgender adolescents suffering from gender dysphoria. Medical experts, including major national medical associations, agree that gender-affirming care is medically necessary for some individuals suffering from gender dysphoria. Denying this care has been shown to worsen mental health outcomes, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

The attorneys general warn that the Trump Administration’s tactics are already having an impact. In some states, including California, 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.

In the lawsuit, the coalition argues that the Trump Administration’s actions violate the Constitution, exceed federal authority, and undermine state laws that require equal access to medical treatment. The lawsuit asks the court to block the administration’s actions and stop the enforcement of these executive orders.

Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general of New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Connecticut led the lawsuit and were joined by the attorneys general of Delaware, Hawai’i, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Governor of Pennsylvania.

A copy of the complaint can be found here.