Supreme Court Keeps Gender-Transition Care Accessible for Federal Inmates
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued an order preventing the Trump administration from immediately halting gender-transition medical treatments for transgender individuals in federal custody. The unsigned, unexplained ruling maintains a lower-court block on a Bureau of Prisons policy designed to prohibit the care while legal challenges proceed.
Under President Trump, the administration sought to implement policies restricting federal funds and medical procedures for gender dysphoria, arguing that providing such treatments creates security and prison-administration challenges. However, lower courts—including U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth—previously blocked the policy, noting that abrupt discontinuation of hormone therapy and other medical care could lead to severe mental health risks, including depression and self-harm.
Wednesday's decision allows as many as 1,000 federal prisoners diagnosed with gender dysphoria to continue receiving treatments such as hormone therapy and social accommodations. Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Clarence Thomas dissented, stating they would have granted the administration's emergency request to halt the treatments.
Legal representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union praised the decision as vital for protecting constitutional rights to necessary medical care. Meanwhile, Justice Department officials expressed disappointment with the interim ruling and indicated they plan to pursue their appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
