U.S. Supreme Court sides with transgender prisoners for now

@ 2026 Equal Entertainment LLC.
All rights reserved

 
        Supreme Court rejects Trump’s ‘dangerous’ push to cut off medical care for transgender prisoners
      The justices denied the administration’s emergency request to enforce restrictions on gender-affirming care in federal prisons.
 
   A view of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on October 14, 2026. 

        SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
    
 Christopher Wiggins 
          
          Oct 21, 2026
          
Christopher Wiggins
Christopher Wiggins is the politics and news editor at equalpride, where he leads and shapes coverage across The Advocate, Out, and Them. Based in Washington, D.C., he oversees national reporting on the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, federal agencies, state governments, and the political forces shaping LGBTQ+ life in the United States.
A GLAAD Media Award-winning journalist, Wiggins has reported extensively on federal policy, civil rights, elections, the courts, and the consequences of government action for LGBTQ+ people, with a particular focus on transgender communities. His work includes cover profiles for The Advocate’s print magazine featuring U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, CNN anchor-turned-independent journalist Don Lemon, former senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Dr. Demetri Daskalakis, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In addition to directing editorial strategy, Wiggins continues to report from Washington on the institutions, officials, and movements defining the national political landscape, including the second Trump administration.
He can be reached at christopher.wiggins@equalpride.com and followed on Instagram and Bluesky. Whistleblowers and confidential sources may contact him securely on Signal at cwdc.98.
 See Full Bio   
                  Follow:
                   Christopher Wiggins on X
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s bid to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender people in federal prisons, preserving access while a legal challenge continues.
The policy would have ended surgeries, gradually withdrawn hormone treatment, and eliminated accommodations including wigs and makeup. Mental health services would remain available.
Related:  Trump begs Supreme Court to let feds withdraw medical care for trans prisoners: ‘A dangerous thing to do’
About 600 incarcerated people received hormone therapy in 2025, according to Bureau of Prisons court filings.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered treatment to continue, warning that untreated gender dysphoria can cause depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The administration appealed, citing security concerns.
The order in Trump v. Kingdom leaves a lower court’s order blocking the restrictions intact. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would have allowed enforcement. Chief Justice John Roberts, who issued the order, did not explain the Court’s reasoning.
Related: Transgender prisoners ask U.S. Supreme Court to stop Trump from taking their medical care
The ruling leaves the underlying lawsuit unresolved but keeps a lower court’s protection in place against restrictions adopted following President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting care for transgender people held in federal custody. A doctor told The Advocate that removing this care from trans prisoners is “a dangerous thing to do.”

This story is developing.
 
        FROM OUR SPONSORS
        
        The Latest
        
Opinion 
        Opinion: JD Vance thinks Trump deserves to grift more money and trans kids deserve less humanity
      The vice president defends the Trumps’ right to “earn a living,” then sneers at someone who says he loves trans kids, writes John Casey.
 
John Casey
 
Transgender Health 
        Virginia hospitals keep legal trans youth care closed and families in the dark
      Families sought safety in Virginia. Now, three major hospitals have closed their youth gender-affirming care programs with no public timetable for reopening.
 
Jack Walker
 
National 
        Ric Grenell under fire over alleged offer of Trump access tied to missing Kennedy Center donation
      A $17.6 million transfer, an alleged offer of presidential access, and conflicting accounts have drawn scrutiny from the White House counsel.
 
Christopher Wiggins
 
States 
        Pennsylvania school board bans trans athletes despite having none. But who can actually play?
      One board member criticized her district’s policy as poorly constructed. Another district’s superintendent declined to clarify how its rules would affect trans boys.
 
Edgar Ramirez

The Top 5

Discover more

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s bid to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender people in federal prisons, preserving access while a legal challenge continues.

The policy would have ended surgeries, gradually withdrawn hormone treatment, and eliminated accommodations including wigs and makeup. Mental health services would remain available.

About 600 incarcerated people received hormone therapy in 2025, according to Bureau of Prisons court filings.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered treatment to continue, warning that untreated gender dysphoria can cause depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The administration appealed, citing security concerns.

The order in Trump v. Kingdom leaves a lower court’s order blocking the restrictions intact. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would have allowed enforcement. Chief Justice John Roberts, who issued the order, did not explain the Court’s reasoning.

The ruling leaves the underlying lawsuit unresolved but keeps a lower court’s protection in place against restrictions adopted following President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting care for transgender people held in federal custody. A doctor told The Advocate that removing this care from trans prisoners is “a dangerous thing to do.”

This story is developing.

From Your Site Articles

 
        More For You
        
        Tim Curry, Broadway icon, dies at 80
     
Ricky Cornish
 Aug 26, 2026 
Tim Curry during "Kinsey" New York City Premiere.

        Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
    
        Actor Tim Curry has passed away. Keep Reading → 
 
        Trump name removal at Kennedy Center draws growing attention after last-minute court loss
     
Desiree Guerrero
 Jun 12, 2026 
A construction crew prepares to remove Donald Trump's name from The Kennedy Center's exterior on Friday.
 NBC Washington 

        On Thursday, the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees made a sudden decision to appeal U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper’s order to remove Trump’s name from the Washington, D.C. cultural center’s exterior by Friday, June 12. Cooper said his reasoning for the ruling was that the name change did not go through the proper legal processes, stating that “Congress gave the center its name, and only Congress can change it.” Keep Reading → 
 
        Delaware strengthens legal protections for LGBTQ+ families as other states move the opposite way
     
Christopher Wiggins
 Jun 11, 2026 
Lena Johnston, 2, and her father Jay are pictured before the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling to legalize gay marriage throughout the United States, June 26, 2015. 

        Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images
    
        As conservative lawmakers across the country target transgender rights and revisit long-settled questions about LGBTQ+ equality, Delaware moved in the opposite direction. Keep Reading → 
 
        Shots fired at Myrtle Beach gay nightclub, one detained
     
Desiree Guerrero
 Apr 02, 2026 
Pulse Ultra Club in Myrtle Beach, south carolina
 WMBF News 

        Police in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, are currently investigating a report of shots being fired at a local LGBTQ+ nightclub, according to WMBF News. No one was reported injured. Keep Reading → 
 
        Idaho governor signs law making transgender bathroom use a felony
     
Christopher Wiggins
 Mar 31, 2026 
Gov. Brad Little of Idaho signed a law making the use of bathrooms by transgender people a crime.

        Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
    
        Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, signed a bill Tuesday criminalizing transgender people for using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, enacting one of the nation’s most sweeping restrictions on public accommodations and marking a new phase in the state’s effort to regulate where transgender people can exist in public life. Keep Reading → 
 
        Most Popular
        
film 
        Elizabeth Holmes's fiancé, Billy Evans, has a shocking full-frontal scene in new film
      The revealing moment is just one of the surprising moments in the new documentary, You Can See Everything.
 
Ricky Cornish
 
National 
        JD Vance, who once thought he was gay before changing his name twice, suggests James Talarico is gay
      “I love you too, sir. In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.”
 
Delia Curtis
 
States 
        Donald Trump rambles about how much he likes Jon Husted’s “ass” at rally
      The president fixated on Husted’s physique — and his jawline — during a meandering campaign rally appearance.
 
Jacob Ogles
 
States 
        Who’s targeting LGBTQ+ rights in Ohio? GLAAD lays out the records
      Amid an unprecedented deluge of anti-LGBTQ+ campaign ads, the fact sheets are intended to help voters hold leaders accountable.
 
Ken Schneck - The Buckeye Flame
 
States 
        Texas trans rights group says text message impersonation campaign sparked hate
      The Transgender Education Network issued a cease-and-desist notice to two text messaging companies on Wednesday.
 
Jack Walker
 
Opinion 
        The LGBTQ+ movement is broken. Here's how we might fix it
      Opinion: QWELL Community Foundation's Clayton Gibson argues that queer people must look beyond political and celebrity activism to build stronger communities, economic power, and lasting support systems.
 
Clayton Gibson

Site Navigation

Supreme Court rejects Trump’s ‘dangerous’ push to cut off medical care for transgender prisoners

The justices denied the administration’s emergency request to enforce restrictions on gender-affirming care in federal prisons.

The Latest

Opinion: JD Vance thinks Trump deserves to grift more money and trans kids deserve less humanity

The vice president defends the Trumps’ right to “earn a living,” then sneers at someone who says he loves trans kids, writes John Casey.

Virginia hospitals keep legal trans youth care closed and families in the dark

Families sought safety in Virginia. Now, three major hospitals have closed their youth gender-affirming care programs with no public timetable for reopening.

Ric Grenell under fire over alleged offer of Trump access tied to missing Kennedy Center donation

A $17.6 million transfer, an alleged offer of presidential access, and conflicting accounts have drawn scrutiny from the White House counsel.

Pennsylvania school board bans trans athletes despite having none. But who can actually play?

One board member criticized her district’s policy as poorly constructed. Another district’s superintendent declined to clarify how its rules would affect trans boys.

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to be told .

The Top 5

Trump fires new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia in first week on the job

STUDY: One-Third of Israelis Are Bisexual

Her Story Explores the Dating Lives of Trans Women

Ohio Highway Named After Leelah Alcorn

Trans Murder Victim Number 11: Woman In Fresno

Discover more

More For You

Tim Curry, Broadway icon, dies at 80

Trump name removal at Kennedy Center draws growing attention after last-minute court loss

Delaware strengthens legal protections for LGBTQ+ families as other states move the opposite way

Shots fired at Myrtle Beach gay nightclub, one detained

Idaho governor signs law making transgender bathroom use a felony

Most Popular

Elizabeth Holmes's fiancé, Billy Evans, has a shocking full-frontal scene in new film

The revealing moment is just one of the surprising moments in the new documentary, You Can See Everything.

JD Vance, who once thought he was gay before changing his name twice, suggests James Talarico is gay

“I love you too, sir. In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.”

Donald Trump rambles about how much he likes Jon Husted’s “ass” at rally

The president fixated on Husted’s physique — and his jawline — during a meandering campaign rally appearance.

Who’s targeting LGBTQ+ rights in Ohio? GLAAD lays out the records

Amid an unprecedented deluge of anti-LGBTQ+ campaign ads, the fact sheets are intended to help voters hold leaders accountable.

Texas trans rights group says text message impersonation campaign sparked hate

The Transgender Education Network issued a cease-and-desist notice to two text messaging companies on Wednesday.

The LGBTQ+ movement is broken. Here's how we might fix it

Opinion: QWELL Community Foundation's Clayton Gibson argues that queer people must look beyond political and celebrity activism to build stronger communities, economic power, and lasting support systems.