Coalition of 18 Attorneys General File Amicus Brief to Support Plaintiffs in PFLAG v. Trump

Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 18 attorneys general today filed an amicus brief, supporting a group of plaintiffs that includes individual patients, their families, and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in their lawsuit against the Trump administration. This “friend of the court” filing argues that President Trump’s executive orders targeting transgender youth unlawfully discriminate against them based on their identity.

“This is about Trump’s efforts to strip these youth of their rights and their dignity,” said Rayfield. “Transgender people should never have to live in fear. Oregon stands firmly in support of these individuals, their families and organizations like PFLAG in their fight to protect their rights.”

On February 4, PFLAG challenged President Trump’s executive orders targeting transgender individuals. Those orders wrongly state that gender identity is a “false” idea and attempt to strip federal funding from institutions that provide life-saving gender affirming care for young people under the age of 19.

The states submitting today’s amicus brief have enacted their own laws, policies and protections for transgender residents, including transgender youth under the age of 19. These laws include legal protections for gender-affirming healthcare services, policies allowing residents to request a change in the sex designation on their birth certificate and prohibitions on discrimination in schools, employment, real estate and other services. Also, these states have protections for people who lawfully provide or help others access gender-affirming care.

A recent study conducted by the University of Washington found that in individuals ages 13-20, receiving gender-affirming care was associated with 60% lower odds of moderate to severe depression and 73% lower odds of having suicidal thoughts over a 12-month period.

The states in this amicus brief are urging the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to grant PFLAG’s motion for a preliminary injunction.

Along with Attorney General Rayfield in this brief are the attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.