America First Legal Challenges Claims in Transgender Lawsuits
America First Legal (AFL), a conservative legal group, is taking steps to investigate whether the claims made in recent lawsuits are valid. This comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by 15 Democratic-led states, along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, aiming to prevent President Trump’s executive order that bans minors from undergoing gender transitions.
Last month, Fox News Digital highlighted that many records requested by AFL from the state Department of Health were either ignored or inadequately addressed. These records were supposed to provide evidence of the supposed harms asserted by the lawsuit against the executive orders.
Connecticut, one of the states mentioned by AFL, has recently submitted some documents. Yet, AFL contends that these records continue to show that the alleged harms cited in the Democrats’ case do not exist at all.
According to one email from Elizabeth Flugere, who leads the Health Statistics and Surveillance Division in Connecticut, there were “no observed impacts to HSS funding or federal grants” related to Trump’s executive order.
California’s Lawsuit Against a Hospital
This email stands in stark contrast to the allegations in the lawsuit that claims the order has “immediately” jeopardized federal funding and disrupted public health services. AFL’s vice president, Dan Epstein, commented that if Connecticut has not faced economic repercussions from the order, it should reconsider participating in the lawsuit. He emphasized that challenging such an executive order risks turning courts into venues for political disputes rather than actual legal disagreements. AFL intends to keep addressing what it sees as baseless claims against federal court activities stemming from state laws.
Connecticut’s Gender Programs Under Review
In additional records shared with AFL, an employee notice was found referencing a temporary restraining order that halts the executive order on transgender surgeries. Notably, a nationwide injunction blocking this executive order was issued shortly after it was announced.
Epstein pointed out that plaintiffs need to show “standing” in court, which means they must provide actual evidence of harm related to their claims. He stressed that merely filing early does not exempt them from this obligation. “The plaintiffs’ complaint fails to show any real loss linked to the federal action beyond just speculative claims,” he argued.
AFL’s records request, dated August 1, aimed to gather a variety of documents, including those demonstrating the harms alleged in the lawsuits—like penalties against healthcare providers, clinic closures, and rising crises among transgender youth. They are also seeking proof of rising service costs and any failure of states to meet legal healthcare obligations for minors.
So far, only Massachusetts, Illinois, Nevada, and Connecticut have responded, with indications that no relevant correspondence exists in response to AFL’s inquiries, even though the requests align closely with the accusations in the multi-state lawsuit.
Additionally, Trump’s Executive Order 14187 is facing a lawsuit from the New York State Attorney General’s office, with Letitia James spearheading the discrimination claims. FOX News Digital attempted to obtain comments from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Public Health after AFL’s filing but did not receive a response in time for publication.
