South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined attorneys general from 25 other states in filing friend-of-the-court briefs urging two federal appeals courts to lift an injunction that is currently blocking an Executive Order issued by President Trump. The order prohibits the use of federal funds for pediatric sex-change procedures and treatments.
“We need to protect our teenagers and children from radical surgeries and hormones that are unproven, unsafe, and often irreversible,” said Attorney General Wilson. “President Trump’s Executive Order is a roadblock to child mutilation, so we’re hopeful the courts will allow it to take effect.”
The amicus briefs were filed with the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and Ninth Circuit. They challenge a preliminary injunction granted by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, which temporarily halted enforcement of the Executive Order.
President Trump’s Executive Order, titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” was issued in January. It states that federal funding or support will not be provided for “the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another” and pledges strict enforcement of laws limiting such procedures.
The attorneys general argue that the district court relied on guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which they claim lacks scientific integrity. According to their brief, court-ordered discovery revealed WPATH developed its Standards of Care despite finding “little to no evidence about children and adolescents.” The brief also asserts that WPATH altered clinical guidelines recommending irreversible procedures for minors based on political considerations rather than scientific evidence.
Attorneys general joining Wilson include those representing Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
