Story perspectives

FTC and States Sue WPATH Over 2022 Care Standards

8/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

The FTC and four states sued WPATH in Texas, alleging its 2022 Standards of Care contain deceptive claims.
WPATH filed a motion to dismiss on July 28, claiming the standards are First Amendment protected expert opinion.
The FTC said parents were misled about the necessity, safety and scientific basis of gender-transition treatments to obtain insurance coverage.
The 2022 Standards of Care removed age limits for breast augmentation, genital surgery and hysterectomy.

History

Historical Context

Gay-rights protests after the 1969 Stonewall riots pressured the American Psychiatric Association, whose board voted in December 1973 to replace “homosexuality” with a distress-based code; the DSM-III-R eliminated that code in 1987. The FTC’s 2022 action, joined by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, echoes this legacy by challenging state-endorsed WPATH standards as deceptive medical guidance.

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Story summary

The FTC and four states sued WPATH in Texas, alleging its 2022 Standards of Care contain deceptive claims.
WPATH filed a motion to dismiss on July 28, claiming the standards are First Amendment protected expert opinion.
The FTC said parents were misled about the necessity, safety and scientific basis of gender-transition treatments to obtain insurance coverage.
The 2022 Standards of Care removed age limits for breast augmentation, genital surgery and hysterectomy.

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