The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), alongside the attorneys general of Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas, has initiated legal action against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Texas, alleges that WPATH has made misleading or unsubstantiated claims regarding the safety, effectiveness, and medical necessity of gender-affirming care for minors.
This legal action marks a significant escalation in the ongoing debate over transgender healthcare, particularly for minors. The lawsuit targets WPATH’s Standards of Carewhich have influenced medical, legal, and insurance practices related to transgender health for decades. The FTC’s complaint, spanning 123 pages, names WPATH’s Texas and Illinois corporations and its U.S. affiliate, the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health.
WPATH’s Response and Defense
WPATH has vehemently rejected the allegations, accusing the Trump administration of abusing federal power to attack transgender patients and the medical professionals who care for them. In a statement to The AdvocateWPATH emphasized that the FTC’s earlier attempt to obtain protected information from the organization had been struck down by a federal judgeand that the new lawsuit is similarly baseless.
The organization also highlighted that the FTC, not being a medical provider, has no place interfering with individualized medical decision-making. Adrian Shanker, a former deputy assistant secretary for health policy in the Biden administration, described the lawsuit as part of a broader pattern of unscientific actions targeting transgender health by the Trump administration. Shanker emphasized that the underlying science supporting gender-affirming care has not changed, asserting that gender-affirming care saves lives.
The Impact on Transgender Communities
Amber Perez, executive director of the Borderland Rainbow Center in El Paso, expressed concern about Texas’s role in the lawsuit. While not surprising, Perez found the continued attacks on the transgender community alarming. She described Texas as a testing ground for anti-LGBTQ+ policies that often spread to other Republican-led states.
Perez noted that transgender Texans are exhausted by the repeated political attacks but have become more visible and defiant during Pride this year. She emphasized the resilience of the community, stating, “They’re going to continue attacking us, but we are still here.” Perez also observed that most Texans are more concerned with economic issues such as gas and food prices, rather than attacking transgender people.
The FTC’s Allegations and WPATH’s Standards of Care
The lawsuit centers on WPATH’s Standards of Care, which provide clinical guidelines for providers, insurers, and courts in transgender healthcare matters. The FTC alleges that WPATH’s guidance framed pediatric gender-affirming care as medically necessary and lifesaving while allegedly minimizing or omitting risks and limits in the research.
FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson described the case as a consumer protection matter, emphasizing the need for parents to have complete and truthful information when making medical decisions for their children. Ferguson stated that the FTC has a long-standing mandate to take action against entities that make deceptive and unsubstantiated health-related claims.
WPATH defended its work, asserting that for more than 50 years, it has developed guidelines informed by established scientific standards, expert consensus, and patient-centered values. The organization emphasized that it supports individualized patient care, not a one size fits all approach, and that transgender and gender-diverse patients deserve the highest level of care from their medical professionals.
