The Washington State Attorney General's Office announced Friday, via a news release, that it is suing to block an executive order from the Trump administration that halts federal funding for gender-affirming care.
Washington Attorney General (AG) Nick Brown filed the lawsuit, which seeks to prevent federal agencies from enforcing the order, according to the release. The attorneys general of Minnesota and Oregon have joined the legal challenge.
"We are requesting a temporary restraining order to immediately halt the harm that is being done because this is an emergency," Brown said.
President Donald Trump's order is not an all out ban, but strips federal funding from hospitals providing transgender care to minors.
"This order is part of a larger political effort to strip away civil rights from entire communities," Brown stated, via the news release. "The president's cruelty is on full display with this dehumanizing executive order, along with his disdain for the Constitution. His actions are harming Washington's youth, parents and health care providers."
According to the AG's Office, the states argue the executive order violates the 5th Amendment's equal protection guarantee by singling out transgender people for "mistreatment and discrimination." The states also argue the president cannot unilaterally regulate or criminalize medical practices in Washington, which are protected by the 10th Amendment.
"This president's order is gross," Brown said. "It is disgusting. It is hateful, and so we will always take action against illegal conduct. But this one has special resonance because of the hate behind it."
The Trump administration believes the surgeries are harmful for minors who will "soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding," as stated in the executive order.
"Moreover, these vulnerable youths' medical bills may rise throughout their lifetimes, as they are often trapped with lifelong medical complications, a losing war with their own bodies, and, tragically, sterilization," the order adds.
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However, Brown had a message for transgender people in Washington.
"I want to say directly to the young trans people in this state, you are not alone," he said. "We will do everything we can to fight for your dignity, for your healthcare, and for your rights."
A transgender woman shared with KIRO Newsradio that without her transition, she might not be alive.
"This was a constant weight on my shoulders as a child to the extent that I often felt suicidal at a very young age, feeling that I'd rather die than go through male puberty," Luna Crone-Baron said..
Her mother said the positive change was evident.
"She stood taller," Jessica Brady said. "She was more present in her body. She was more social, and happy. It was clear this was the right decision for her."
Related news: Trump signs executive order intended to bar transgender athletes from female sports
Co-host of "The Jake and Spike Show" on KIRO Newsradio Spike O'Neill said the order blocks more than the federal funding for minors' surgeries.
"It's not just blocking federal funding. It's not just blocking funding for the procedures to be done. They'll block funding for anything if you're doing those procedures, even without federal dollars," he said.
Co-host of "Jake and Spike" Jake Skorheim responded saying, "If I understand this correctly, the executive order is not saying it's illegal to do these things. It's just saying we're not going to give you federal funding. So there's still hospitals locally that still provide the procedures."
However, KIRO Newsradio reporter Luke Duecy explained hospitals fear they will lose federal funding for projects and research if they continue to administer gender-affirming care.
"Singling out one group to make their life harder, and that's what this does, by causing families who seek this kind of care. And we're talking about hospitals, care facilities that can stop doing these procedures. These are families that have been involved with these organizations for months, if not years on end and I've got personal experience in this," Spike shared.