Transgender clinics and major hospitals are feeling the heat as the DOJ looks to investigate fraud and unethical conduct in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Skrmetti decision letting states ban the use of experimental drugs and surgeries in minors.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has intensified its investigation into transgender medical procedures for minors, issuing a wave of subpoenas and raising the stakes in a growing clash over medical ethics, political ideology, and the duty of states to protect children.
Last week, federal officials announced that more than 20 subpoenas had been issued to clinics and physicians suspected of unlawful practices involving gender-transition treatments for children. The investigation is part of a broader crackdown directed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in response to what the administration has described as ideological and financially motivated procedures performed on vulnerable youth.
“Medical professionals and organizations that mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology will be held accountable by this Department of Justice,” Bondi said in a statement.
While the DOJ has not publicly identified the individuals or institutions under investigation, the department confirmed that the subpoenas focus on such violations as false statements, fraudulent billing practices, and unethical conduct.
The same day the subpoenas were issued, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a workshop focusing on the risks and ethical concerns surrounding transgender procedures for minors. The event featured scientists, former patients, attorneys, and whistleblowers who raised alarms over what they described as deceptive practices within the gender medicine industry. Though the FTC lacks direct authority over the medical profession, it has a history of investigating false health claims and penalizing businesses that promote unverified medical treatments.
Speakers at the workshop included detransitioners who started gender-affirming treatments while experiencing mental health struggles during adolescence but later reversed course. Those individuals now say they were rushed into taking puberty blockers or undergoing irreversible surgeries without proper safeguards or counseling.
The FTC session also featured medical experts who argued that some gender-transition treatments have been pushed on minors without adequate evidence to support their long-term safety or effectiveness. Critics say that the industry has moved too quickly to affirm young patients’ gender identities without meaningful psychological evaluation or consideration of other alternatives.
According to the Daily Wire, the FTC noted in the event’s description that “Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act gives the FTC broad authority to protect consumers from unfair or deceptive acts or practices.”
“This authority could be implicated if there is evidence that medical professionals or others omitted warnings about the risks or made false or unsupported claims about the benefits and effectiveness of gender-affirming care for minors,” the description added. “The workshop will help the FTC to understand whether consumers are being or have been exposed to false or unsupported claims about ‘gender-affirming care’ and to gauge the harms consumers may be experiencing.”
The news comes as the FBI has opened separate investigations into three prominent children’s hospitals regarding their involvement in transgender surgeries and hormonal treatments for minors. Boston Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, all known for offering gender-related care, are reportedly under federal review.
These investigations followed an earlier memo issued by Attorney General Bondi that instructs the DOJ to prioritize enforcement of federal child protection statutes in line with a recent executive order from President Trump. That order called on federal agencies to take action against medical providers engaged in what it characterized as “child mutilation” under the label of gender-affirming care.
“The Department of Justice will not sit idly by while doctors, motivated by ideology, profits, or both, exploit and mutilate our children,” Bondi said in the directive.
Opponents of gender-transition procedures for minors point to emerging international research and internal documents from advocacy groups as evidence of the harms of gender-affirming treatments and procedures. Several studies from Europe and the U.S. have questioned whether medical transitions lead to long-term mental health improvements, especially in adolescents. In some cases, research has found limited evidence of positive outcomes or noted serious risks associated with treatments like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
In June, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s law banning such treatments for children in a 6-3 decision that was split along ideological lines. That ruling, known as United States v. Skrmetti, is expected to strengthen similar laws in over 20 states that already prohibit gender-transition treatments and surgeries for minors.
The Supreme Court also recently agreed to hear two additional cases related to transgender participation in women’s sports. Those cases could further shape the legal boundaries concerning gender issues related to minors under existing civil rights protections.
This is not the first time children have been sacrificed to cultural lies or treated as tools of ideological agendas. In the Roman Empire, Christians rescued infants left to die outside. During the eugenics movement of the early 20th century, believers defended the dignity of disabled children. And in Nazi Germany, the faithful Church rejected the state’s redefinition of humanity.
Today, the Church must once again be clear and courageous. We cannot bless what God condemns. We cannot remain silent while children are lead into confusion, mutilation, and despair. In Matthew 18:6, Jesus warns: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
The controversy surrounding transgender procedures for minors strikes at the heart of this biblical command. As Christians, we must resist the cultural tide that redefines truth based on personal identity or feelings rather than God’s design. Genesis 1:27 makes clear that God created humans “male and female.” Deviating from that design, especially when it comes to medical treatment for minors, raises serious ethical and theological concerns.
In this moment, believers must not remain silent. We are called to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8). This includes advocating for truth in medicine, standing with families who seek clarity and protection for their children, and extending compassion to those harmed by gender transition procedures.
Christian families, educators, and churches must also be proactive. We must teach biblical identity to young people and help them resist cultural lies, creating communities where questions can be addressed with grace and truth. The battle for the hearts and bodies of children is real, and Christians must rise to engage in it with both conviction and love.
If you like this article and other content that helps you apply a biblical worldview to today’s politics and culture, consider making a donation here.
