FTC announces workshop to investigate misleading “gender-affirming care” practices for minors, directly responding to President Trump’s executive order that ended federal support for such procedures.
Key Takeaways
- The FTC will host “The Dangers of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Minors” workshop on July 9, 2025, examining potential deceptive practices in transgender youth treatments
- The event follows President Trump’s executive order ending federal support for gender-affirming care for minors, citing concerns about irreversible interventions
- Participants will include doctors, medical ethicists, whistleblowers, detransitioners, and parents of detransitioners
- The workshop will assess whether medical providers have made false claims or omitted warnings about treatments for gender dysphoria
- While in-person attendance is by invitation only, the event will be streamed online for broader accessibility
FTC Responds to Trump’s Executive Order
The Federal Trade Commission has announced a significant workshop titled “The Dangers of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Minors,” scheduled for July 9, 2025, in Washington, DC. This initiative directly supports President Trump’s recent executive order that terminated federal backing for gender-affirming treatments for children. The workshop aims to investigate whether medical professionals providing such services have engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices, potentially harming vulnerable minors through irreversible medical interventions that may have been presented under false pretenses.
The FTC’s investigation comes at a critical time when many conservative-led states have already implemented restrictions on these procedures for minors. The federal agency’s involvement signals a nationwide examination of the medical claims being made to parents and children regarding the safety, reversibility, and necessity of various gender-affirming treatments. Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act gives the agency authority to address these concerns if evidence emerges of omitted warnings or false claims about such medical interventions.
Diverse Voices to Participate in the Workshop
In an effort to gather comprehensive information, the FTC has assembled a diverse panel of participants for the workshop. Doctors with experience in the field, medical ethicists examining the moral dimensions of such treatments, and whistleblowers from within the medical establishment will provide expert testimony. Notably, the workshop will also feature individuals who have detransitioned—people who underwent gender-affirming procedures but later returned to identifying with their biological sex—as well as parents of detransitioners who witnessed the effects of these treatments firsthand.
The inclusion of detransitioners represents a significant shift in the national conversation around transgender healthcare. These individuals bring critical perspectives on the long-term consequences of medical interventions that were once presented as necessary and beneficial. Their testimonies may highlight potential discrepancies between what medical providers promised and the actual outcomes experienced by patients, which falls squarely within the FTC’s consumer protection mandate to investigate potentially deceptive claims in the marketplace.
Examining Claims and Potential Harms
A primary focus of the workshop will be assessing whether consumers—both minors and their parents—have been exposed to false or misleading claims about gender-affirming treatments. The FTC will scrutinize whether medical providers have adequately disclosed the full range of potential risks and long-term consequences associated with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical interventions. This examination is particularly relevant given President Trump’s executive order, which explicitly states concerns about children being harmed through irreversible medical procedures.
The FTC’s authority under consumer protection laws provides a powerful tool for addressing these concerns. If the agency finds evidence of deceptive practices, it could potentially take enforcement actions against medical providers or institutions that have misrepresented the safety, efficacy, or reversibility of gender-affirming treatments. This represents a significant shift in federal policy compared to previous administrations that actively promoted access to such treatments for minors experiencing gender dysphoria.
Workshop Accessibility and Public Engagement
While in-person attendance at the July workshop is by invitation only, the FTC has announced that the event will be streamed online to ensure broader accessibility for interested parties across the nation. This approach allows for transparency in the proceedings while maintaining a controlled environment for the sensitive discussions that will take place. The public and members of the press can express interest in attending by contacting the FTC directly through email, though final decisions on attendance remain at the agency’s discretion.
The FTC’s media contact for the event is Joe Simonson from the Office of Public Affairs, indicating the agency’s preparation for significant media coverage of this controversial topic. As part of its broader mission to protect consumers and promote fair competition in the marketplace, the FTC’s examination of gender-affirming care practices aligns with President Trump’s commitment to addressing what many conservatives view as experimental treatments being performed on children without adequate safeguards or informed consent.
