PFLAG v Trump: Frequently Asked Questions

​PFLAG National; GLMA; two transgender young adults; and five transgender adolescents and their families.

This is a time of unprecedented attacks on our community, with multiple anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ laws passing in states around the country last year alone. There simply is not capacity at this particular moment to challenge each and every one of these laws in court because of the volume of these discriminatory laws. This particular case, PFLAG v Trump, is intended to protect people in every state across the country. PFLAG National works with lawyers to make decisions on all matters of litigation. For more information about particular lawsuits, we encourage you to reach out to the legal advocates for further support. These include Lambda Legal and ACLU at the national and state levels.PFLAG National plays a critical role in supporting and protecting families, regardless of whether the organization formally serves as a plaintiff in litigation in any given state.

Every person, transgender or not, does better when they can get the health care they need when they need it. PFLAG is suing to block this executive order and stop it from denying transgender youth and young people access to gender-affirming medical care. As the largest organization in the country representing the parents and families of LGBTQ+ people in its membership and supporters, PFLAG is proud to take a strong, visible role as a named plaintiff on this important issue for our families.

PFLAG’s more than 550,000 members and supporters include transgender and nonbinary people and their families who support, educate and advocate to create an equitable, inclusive world where every LGBTQ+ person is safe, celebrated, empowered, and loved. Immediately after President Trump signed this malicious executive order, these good people raised alarms that medical appointments for their transgender kids were being canceled and that health clinics providing necessary gender-affirming care were closing their doors.

PFLAG National is suing to block this harmful executive order from going into effect because it is our job to ensure our transgender loved ones have the freedom to thrive. No politician has the right or the authority to get between a parent and their child’s prescribed, medically necessary course of healthcare, nor to coerce doctors and medical providers to comply with orders that cause harm.

We are so sorry to hear that your family is being impacted by this executive order; no family should have to make personal decisions with anyone but their kids and their trusted medical providers. We recommend contacting the Lambda Legal Help Desk directly at lambdalegal.org/helpdesk.

President Trump signed Executive Order 14187 on January 28, 2025. The legal team filed to block its implementation on Feb. 4, 2025. The court issued a temporary restraining order on February 13, 2025, and then issued a preliminary injunction on March 4, 2025.

While this case is proceeding the federal government is barred from withdrawing federal funding to coerce hospitals into stopping gender-affirming medical care for people under the age of 19.

The Affordable Care Act prohibits most health insurance plans from discriminating regarding gender-affirming medical care. Nothing about the executive order changes that.

Legal advocates are closely monitoring actions from the federal government that might restrict access to care more broadly. We encourage you to follow Lambda Legal and the ACLU on social media for the most up-to-date information on this and other issues.

The states of Washington, Minnesota, Oregon, and Colorado have a separate lawsuit challenging these executive orders. Their case is slightly different as it represents the interest of states on behalf of their citizens. They too obtained a preliminary injunction which covers only the above states, in contrast to the preliminary injunction obtained in PFLAG v Trump, which bars the federal government from withdrawing federal funding from any hospital that provides gender-affirming medical care for people under the age of 19.

PFLAG National is a plaintiff in other cases in Missouri, North Carolina and Texas. For more information about particular lawsuits, we encourage you to reach out to the legal advocates for further support. These include Lambda Legal and ACLU at the national and state levels.

PFLAG National plays a critical role in supporting and protecting LGBTQ+ people and families, regardless of whether the organization formally serves as a plaintiff in litigation in any given state.

This new federal case should not impact these other state suits.

PFLAG National is asking the court to block enforcement of President Trump’s executive order that harms transgender youth and young adults. In this case, a victory would make sure all federally-funded health care institutions would be able to continue providing the care to trans young people. In prior cases, the injunctions won by our legal team for PFLAG itself extended protections to members. The goal in this case is a broad victory, and it is possible that there could be more limited relief that would apply to the institutions where PFLAG members receive care.

PFLAG is for LGBTQ+ people, their parents, families, and allies. All families that include transgender loved ones in particular are encouraged to join PFLAG. There are two ways to become a member:

1. You can join your local chapter by paying their membership fee, part of which will come to PFLAG National and make you a member of both the national organization and your local chapter; or
2. You can join PFLAG National directly.

Visit pflag.org/become-a-member to learn more about both options and choose which is right for you. Have questions? Reach out to us at membership@pflag.org.

We are happy to work with families on a case-by-case basis to ensure they are able to become PFLAG members. Please contact us at membership@pflag.org for support.

PFLAG supports families, educates allies, and advocates for equality through a vast network of supporters, members, and chapters across the country. People who join PFLAG—whether through a local chapter or through PFLAG National—enjoy the community of participating in meetings and events, educational opportunities, Pride celebrations, workshops, panels, family programming and so much more. PFLAG members have joined and paid dues either to their local PFLAG chapter or directly to PFLAG National; both of these make you a member of PFLAG National. Visit pflag.org/become-a-member to learn more about both options and choose which is right for you. Have questions? Reach out to us at membership@pflag.org.

At this time, we are not seeking additional plaintiffs for this case. If you or someone you know has had their care or appointments cancelled or stopped, please report this to the Lambda Legal Help Desk right away. Sharing your story as an advocate is always helpful, as long as you and your loved ones feel safe to do so. We welcome you to check out our resources on sharing your personal story to advocate for lasting change.

The lawsuit challenges federal government action, not state government action.

We are so grateful for any and all financial support of our work. Please visit mightycause.com/story/Pvt to donate in support of PFLAG v Trump.