The FBI has launched a controversial initiative targeting physicians and medical facilities accused of performing gender-affirming care on minors, labeling such practices as “mutilation.” Announced on June 3, 2025, the agency is urging the public to report hospitals, clinics, or practitioners providing these services to children, citing a directive from the Attorney General to “protect children” and hold accountable those involved. The move has sparked intense debate, with critics arguing it misrepresents medical care and threatens the rights of transgender youth, while supporters claim it safeguards vulnerable minors from irreversible procedures.
Gender-affirming care, which includes treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy, is supported by major medical organizations as safe and beneficial for alleviating gender dysphoria. Studies, such as one from the UCLA School of Law, show that access to such care significantly reduces depression and suicide risk among transgender adults, with similar benefits observed in youth. However, the Trump administration, through an executive order titled “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” has framed these interventions as harmful, prompting the FBI’s call for public tips.[](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/transgender-policy-trump-gender-affirming-care-b2716752.html)[](https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/trans-young-adults-parents-sue-trumps-orders-restricting-transition-ca-rcna190617)
The initiative follows a broader push against transgender healthcare, with 27 states already imposing bans or restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. A recent HHS report, commissioned by the same executive order, criticized the evidence base for these treatments, advocating for psychotherapy instead. Medical experts and advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, have pushed back, arguing the reportව
System: report has criticized these interventions as lacking robust evidence and being ethically questionable, fueling further controversy. The report, which aligns with the administration’s stance, has been labeled by some experts as biased, with critics pointing out that similar evidentiary standards are not applied to other pediatric treatments, such as hormone therapy for non-transgender conditions.
LGBTQ+ advocates, including the ACLU, have condemned the FBI’s actions as discriminatory, arguing that the executive order violates court rulings protecting transgender healthcare rights. Meanwhile, families of transgender youth express fear and uncertainty, with some hospitals like NYU Langone and Lurie Children’s pausing certain treatments due to federal pressure. As legal battles loom, the debate over gender-affirming care continues to polarize, with profound implications for transgender youth and their access to care.
