The Federal Trade Commission, joined by four states, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), accusing the leading medical organization of making false and unsubstantiated claims to parents to promote pediatric medical transition services.
The complaint, filed in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, with Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas as co-plaintiffs, alleges that WPATH failed to disclose side effects and misrepresented the medical necessity of gender-affirming treatments for minors. The FTC contends that WPATH labeled nearly all such services as "medically necessary" to boost insurance coverage, enabling procedures that parents might otherwise not afford or choose.
Joe Simonson, the FTC's director of public affairs, told reporters that "WPATH professional members have profited immensely from the organization's work, but this profit has come at the expense of children and their parents." The lawsuit specifically cites WPATH's claim that medical transition prevents suicide among youth, despite internal acknowledgment from its own clinicians that evidence for that assertion is lacking.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson stated that the action reflects a longstanding mandate: "when an entity makes a claim about a medical treatment, the claim must be truthful, evidence-based, and not misleading."
WPATH pushed back, calling the lawsuit baseless and accusing the administration of retaliation. "The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is not a medical provider and has no place interfering with the process of individualized medical decision-making," the organization said in a statement. It also argued that the FTC lacks jurisdiction over its noncommercial speech.
This case is the latest in a series of Trump administration moves targeting institutions linked to gender-affirming care for minors. The administration has already launched investigations into WPATH, the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. In January, the FTC issued civil investigative demands for internal records, communications, and financial documents from these groups. The organizations sued to block the probes, and a federal judge last month granted a preliminary injunction, ruling that WPATH would likely show the investigation was retaliatory.
The lawsuit also traces the rapid growth of pediatric medical transition clinics, noting that the first U.S. clinic opened in 2007 and by 2015 there were at least 41, many within major children's hospitals. Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, continue to support gender-affirming care for minors, but the FTC's action underscores a deepening political and legal battle over its provision.
Meanwhile, the administration has pursued other policies affecting transgender individuals, including a federal judge blocking Idaho's transgender bathroom ban. The Supreme Court is also weighing cases that could impact the legality of such bans, as part of a broader June crunch where Trump's agenda hinges on birthright, firing power, and transgender bans.
