A children’s hospital in Virginia plans to continue with life-altering interventions for gender dysphoric patients after a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order banning federal funding of institutions that provide surgical and chemical castrations of youth.
The Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters had previously suspended what it describes as “gender-affirming care” after Trump issued Executive Order 14187, which called for the withholding of federal funding for institutions that provide such services for children under 19.
The hospital has since reevaluated its policy after a federal judge blocked the order last Friday, according to a memo obtained by WAVY-TV. While the hospital plans to proceed with prescribing body-altering drugs and consultations for gender dysphoric patients, it reportedly has never offered sex-change surgeries.
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“After careful analysis of the January 28 White House Executive Order as well as subsequent temporary restraining orders issued by courts in Maryland and Washington, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters shares the following update regarding the availability of gender-affirming care,” the hospital stated in a release cited by the outlet.
The Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment.
U.S. District Judge Lauren King of the Western District of Washington at Seattle granted a preliminary injunction on Feb. 28 against two of Trump’s executive orders.
In addition to the order that cracked down on “chemical and surgical mutilation” of children, the judge’s ruling addressed Executive Order 14168, also known as “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
EO 14168 defined “sex” as “an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female,” adding that it was “not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity.'”
The order instructed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide the public with “clear guidance expanding on the sex-based definitions set forth in this order” within 30 days of the order being issued.
King, a Biden appointee, argued that Trump’s executive orders violated “the separation of powers” by assuming Congress’ role to “appropriate federal funds and set conditions on their use.”
The judge argued that the executive orders go against the “Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantee,” claiming it “prohibits the federal government from treating people differently based on sex or transgender status unless the government can establish an ‘exceedingly persuasive justification’ for doing so and a ‘close means-end fit.'”
“The [c]ourt’s holding here is not about the policy goals that President Trump seeks to advance; rather, it is about reaffirming the structural integrity of the Constitution by ensuring that executive action respects congressional authority,” King wrote.
King’s injunction applies only to medical providers in Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Colorado and three doctors affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine, according to The New York Times. These states and the physicians filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the orders last month.
In a separate lawsuit, a federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order halting federal support for so-called “gender-affirming care” for youth under the age of 19.
According to the order, “Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding.”
“Moreover, these vulnerable youths’ medical bills may rise throughout their lifetimes, as they are often trapped with lifelong medical complications, a losing war with their own bodies, and, tragically, sterilization,” EO 14187 continues.
Trump issued EO 14187 after some foreign and state governments have reexamined treatment options to find different ways to help children with gender dysphoria.
In 2024, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service released the “Cass Review” laying out recommendations from the NHS England Policy Working Group regarding practices medical professionals should follow when assisting youth exhibiting gender dysphoria.
Dr. Hilary Cass, the retired former president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, chaired the review. Cass’ report found studies claiming that puberty-blocking drugs help improve the well-being of children suffering from gender dysphoria are of “poor” quality.
Following the report, the NHS indefinitely banned the use of puberty-blocking drugs on children who struggle with gender dysphoria except for in clinical trials.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
