Gender Care Lawsuit
FTC and four states sue WPATH over allegedly false claims regarding gender-affirming care and insurance
The Federal Trade Commission and four states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) on June 17, 2026, accusing the group of making deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors. The FTC alleges that WPATH's members profited from those claims, framing the case as a consumer protection matter. ABC27 reported the suit was filed in the Northern District of Texas alongside Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas.
The lawsuit arrives just weeks after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., blocked the FTC's earlier investigation into WPATH. That judge found "extensive evidence of animus" and warned the probe could chill scientific speech. The FTC filed this new suit in Texas, widely seen as a more favorable venue for the agency.
FTC Claims WPATH Rewrote Guidelines to Boost Profits
The FTC's 123-page complaint centers on WPATH's 2022 Standards of Care, Version 8. The agency alleges WPATH removed minimum age requirements for surgeries and hormonal treatments — not because of new science, but to expand the market for these services. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said the agency "will not allow parents and children to be deceived by medical organizations prioritizing profit over children's health and safety."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a lead co-plaintiff, called WPATH a "radical organization" that "aggressively promotes harmful and irreversible procedures for children." The suit seeks a permanent injunction to stop WPATH from marketing youth transition services. The sex reassignment surgery market was valued at $2.49 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $6.92 billion by 2035, according to industry data cited in the filing.
A D.C. Judge Blocked the FTC — So It Filed in Texas
The FTC's path to this lawsuit was not straight. In January 2026, the agency sent WPATH a demand for decades of internal communications. WPATH sued to block it. On May 7, 2026, D.C. Chief Judge James Boasberg sided with WPATH, granting an injunction and warning of a "chilling effect" on protected scientific speech. The FTC's response was to file a brand-new lawsuit in Texas instead.
Legal experts call the Texas filing a "venue shopping" move. The Northern District of Texas has historically ruled in favor of conservative-backed causes. By filing there, the FTC avoids the D.C. court that already ruled against it. WPATH's attorney Abbe D. Lowell called the new suit a "blatant and retaliatory attack on the First Amendment" designed to "silence and punish" medical consensus.
WPATH Says This Is Retaliation, Not Consumer Protection
WPATH pushed back hard after the filing. The group said it is "in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of a relentless campaign to undermine gender-affirming care." Democratic attorneys general from Massachusetts and California have filed legal briefs supporting WPATH, calling the probe a "cruel and improper" use of federal power.
Medical groups say the stakes go beyond transgender care. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society — also under FTC investigation — warn that if the government can sue a medical group for its published guidelines, any field could be targeted. That includes vaccine recommendations, reproductive health guidelines, and more. Fewer than 0.1% of U.S. teens with commercial insurance received puberty blockers or hormones between 2018 and 2022, according to data from JAMA Pediatrics.
What Comes Next for Gender-Affirming Care Nationwide
Twenty-seven states already ban gender-affirming care for minors. If the FTC wins in Texas, legal experts say it could set a precedent — medical guidelines would be treated as commercial speech, subject to trade law. That could make liability insurance for providers too expensive, shutting down care even in states where it remains legal.
Public opinion is split. A 2025 survey found 52% of Americans oppose bans on gender-affirming care for minors, while 48% favor them. Republican support for making such care illegal for minors rose from 72% in 2022 to 79% in 2025. The Texas court has not yet set a hearing date for the new FTC lawsuit.
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