New York and 11 other states are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over the Trump administration’s demands that states comply with anti-trans executive orders or face the loss of federal funding.
The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Health and Human Services is unlawfully requiring states to comply with Executive Order 14168, officially titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” as a condition of federal funding.
The executive order, signed by Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration on Jan. 20 of last year, effectively erases the federal government’s recognition of transgender individuals.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island and also included Oregon, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
“The federal government is trying to force states to choose between their values and the vital funding their residents depend on,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.
“This policy threatens health care for families, life-saving research, and education programs that help young people thrive in favor of denying the dignity and existence of transgender people. New York will not abandon our values, our laws, and above all, our residents. My office is suing to block this cruel and unjust directive,” she added.
