LGBT advocates and medical organizations sued the Trump administration over his executive order barring federal funds from going toward trans surgeries for those under the age of 19. (Getty Images)
"There is a reason that this type of so-called medical care proliferated, and that's because they had governmental cover," she said.
The lawsuit was filed in Baltimore federal court and seeks an immediate injunction to delay the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order from last week.
"Over the past week, hospitals across the country have abruptly halted medical care for transgender people under nineteen, canceling appointments and turning away some patients who have waited years to receive medically necessary care for gender dysphoria," the lawsuit reads.
"This sudden shutdown in care was the direct and immediate result of an Executive Order that President Trump issued on January 28, 2025 — Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation — directing all federal agencies to ‘immediately take appropriate steps to ensure that institutions receiving Federal research or education grants end gender-affirming medical care for people under nineteen (the ‘Denial of Care Order’)."
The group of plaintiffs claims executive orders are unlawful and unconstitutional, saying the Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse.
TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDERS BANNING 'RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY,' DEI INITIATIVES IN THE MILITARY
A transgender rights supporter takes part in a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in a case on transgender health rights on Dec. 4, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Perry noted that various federal statutes, including the Affordable Care Act’s anti-discrimination provisions, were "manipulated" by the previous administration to advance gender identity policies and noted that courts have increasingly pushed back against these interpretations.
"I think he is rightly acting in an anticipatory fashion," Perry said of Trump. "He is the chief enforcer of the law, and he has drawn a line in the sand, saying we're going to cut the tap off until we find a way to get clarity on this, but in the meantime, we are not going to continue to fund the things that we know have catastrophic, devastating effects on minor kids."
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The lawsuit is the latest addition to those suing Trump over his gender-related executive orders.
The executive orders, signed in late January, include a reinstatement of the ban on transgender troops in the military, a ban on federal funding for sex changes for minors and a directive requiring federal agencies to recognize only "two sexes," male and female, in official standard of conduct.
A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital they do not comment on pending litigation. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to weed out "radical gender ideology" as one of his key administrative focuses.
The Supreme Court will also rule on a major case this term about a Tennessee law that will determine whether gender transition procedures can be banned for minors.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trans-lawsuit-lobbed-against-trump-admin-based-faulty-interpretations-legal-expert