Funding Halted for Hormone Therapy and Puberty Blockers
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the 28th (local time) to halt federal funding for gender transition procedures for minors under the age of 19, according to major foreign media including the AP News.
According to reports, the core of this executive order is to stop federal funding for medical services such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers that assist transgender minors in gender transition.
Specifically, it excludes support for gender transition treatments for transgender youth from federally operated health insurance systems such as the military health insurance "TRICARE" for service members and their families, and "Medicaid," a medical expense support program for low-income individuals.
Additionally, the order demands that the U.S. Department of Justice actively pursue legislation and lawsuits opposing youth gender transition treatments. The new executive order states, "The United States does not provide funding, sponsorship, promotion, assistance, or support for so-called 'transition' of minors from one sex to another," and "All laws will be strictly enforced to prohibit or restrict such destructive and life-altering procedures."
During his presidential campaign, President Trump pledged to ban gender transition surgeries for minors at the federal level, and this executive order is interpreted as a measure in line with that promise.
Currently, some states in the U.S. allow gender-affirming treatments through Medicaid. However, foreign media pointed out that this practice could be halted due to the new executive order.
Gender-affirming treatment refers to therapies aimed at confirming an individual's gender identity when it conflicts with their sex assigned at birth, encompassing counseling and medical treatments such as hormone therapy.
President Trump has previously condemned gender-affirming treatments as "barbaric medical procedures" on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Amid divided opinions on this executive order, it is anticipated that administrative lawsuits will be filed.
Meanwhile, among the 50 states in the U.S., those dominated by the Republican Party have banned gender transition treatments for youth under state law. Among these, the Tennessee state law banning hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender youth has been reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, but no nationwide ruling on the legality of such state laws has been issued yet.
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