Overview

• Social media posts from the FBI call for tips on hospitals, clinics or practitioners performing gender-affirming surgeries on children.
• The appeal follows President Trump’s January executive order against “chemical and surgical mutilation” and an April Justice Department memo by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
• Legal experts note no federal statute outlaws these surgeries and question the FBI’s authority to probe medical providers.
• Major medical organizations stress that gender-affirming care for youth focuses on social support, with surgeries being rare and often deemed medically necessary.
• Nearly 30 states have enacted bans on gender-affirming medical treatment for minors, and the Supreme Court is weighing a challenge to Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers.