WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at cutting federal support for gender transitions for people 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 order says.
The order directs that federally-run insurance programs, including TRICARE for military families and Medicaid, exclude coverage for such care and calls on the Department of Justice to vigorously pursue litigation and legislation to oppose the practice.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump called gender transition treatments “barbaric medical procedures.”
The order encourages Congress to adopt a law allowing those who receive such treatment and come to regret it, or their parents, to sue the providers.
It also directs the Justice Department to prioritize investigating states that protect access to gender transition treatments and “facilitate stripping custody from parents” who oppose the treatments for their children.
Hours after taking office last week, Trump signed another order that seeks to define sex as only male or female. Trump said he would address these issues during his campaign last year, and is doing so in the first weeks of his presidency.