Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, along with 14 other state attorneys general, issued a joint statement today to express their continued support for gender-affirming care. This statement comes in response to a recent Executive Order from the Trump Administration. The group emphasized that healthcare decisions should be left to patients, families, and doctors rather than being influenced by political figures.
The coalition stated: “As state attorneys general, we stand firmly in support of healthcare policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people. Health care decisions should be made by patients, families, and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms. Gender-affirming care is essential, life-saving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves."
They further criticized the Trump Administration’s Executive Order as being "wrong on the science and the law." They clarified that there is no legal basis connecting "female genital mutilation" with gender-affirming care and highlighted that no federal law makes such care unlawful.
A recent federal court decision was also noted as significant progress for supporters of gender-affirming care. The court ordered the federal government to resume funding previously frozen by the Trump Administration. In compliance with this order, the Department of Justice has indicated that “federal agencies cannot pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate any awards or obligations” based on directives from President Trump’s Executive Orders.
The attorneys general stressed their commitment to enforcing state laws supporting access to gender-affirming care where possible and vowed to challenge any unlawful attempts by the Trump Administration to restrict it.
Attorney General Neronha was joined in this statement by his counterparts from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Vermont, and Wisconsin.