South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a coalition of 23 states in filing a friend-of-the-court brief in support of former President Trump's executive order titled "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation." This order seeks to prohibit the use of federal funds for gender transitioning procedures for minors.
"South Carolina stands with President Trump to protect our children from irreversible medical procedures driven more by politics than science," stated Attorney General Wilson. He further criticized the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), saying, "The evidence is clear: WPATH’s so-called ‘Standards of Care’ are not the gold standard they claim to be. They were crafted to push a legal and political agenda, not to reflect sound medical practice."
The executive order is currently being contested in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The brief, supported by South Carolina and other states, urges the court to uphold the executive order and dismiss claims based on what they describe as flawed guidelines from WPATH.
Attorney General Wilson, along with attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Arizona legislative leaders have expressed their stance through this legal action.
The group requests that the court deny a preliminary injunction sought by plaintiffs against the executive order. They argue that this measure is essential for safeguarding American youth.
The complete brief can be reviewed online.