On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission joined four U.S. states in filing a lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, marking the latest effort by Donald Trump’s administration and allied states to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
The lawsuit claims that the organization, commonly referred to as WPATH, misrepresented the safety and effectiveness of gender-affirming care for minors and that some of its members financially benefited from those assertions. The case was filed by the FTC together with Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas.
“Parents have a right to make informed decisions about their children’s health,” the FTC chair, Andrew Ferguson, said on X. “The FTC will not allow parents and children to be deceived by medical organizations and providers who are prioritizing profit over children’s health and safety.”
WPath said in a statement that its guidelines emphasize individualized treatment for patients, rather than a “one size fits all” approach to care.
The lawsuit follows an investigation launched by the agency into WPath. The organization previously went to court to stop the probe, arguing that it infringed on its First Amendment rights. In May, a federal judge granted WPATH a temporary order halting the investigation.
The FTC has also opened investigations into the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society regarding their guidelines on gender-affirming care, and both organizations have similarly filed lawsuits in response.
WPATH says it has developed widely recognized medical standards for gender-affirming care for over 50 years, according to its website, based on “established scientific standards, expert consensus and patient-centered values.”
In a statement, the group noted that a federal court had already ruled against the FTC in this case by temporarily blocking the investigation.
“WPATH is in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government’s relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organizations,” the statement said. “We expect the same result when we oppose this latest attack on WPATH and its mission to promote evidence-informed care and guidance for doctors and their patients.”
