Story perspectives

BOP Bans Gender-Affirming Care for Inmates, ACLU Calls Unlawful

5/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Federal Bureau of Prisons banned gender-affirming care for transgender inmates on Feb. 21, 2025 (expanded Feb. 19, 2026), a rule Senator Edward Markey, Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Mazie Hirono say follows President Donald Trump’s executive order rather than medical evidence.
The policy forces staff to use names and pronouns reflecting sex, barring funding for gender-affirming items, clothing, procedures.
ACLU calls ban as critics warn crisis, deem it unlawful.

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Story summary

The Federal Bureau of Prisons banned gender-affirming care for transgender inmates on Feb. 21, 2025 (expanded Feb. 19, 2026), a rule Senator Edward Markey, Senator Jeff Merkley and Senator Mazie Hirono say follows President Donald Trump’s executive order rather than medical evidence.
The policy forces staff to use names and pronouns reflecting sex, barring funding for gender-affirming items, clothing, procedures.
ACLU calls ban as critics warn crisis, deem it unlawful.