A U.S. judge has temporarily stopped the Trump administration from moving a transgender woman to a men’s prison and cutting off her access to gender-affirming medical care. This decision comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office, January 20, 2025, targeting what he called “gender ideology extremism.”
Trump’s order required the federal government to recognize only two sexes—male and female—and to house transgender women in men’s prisons. It also stopped funding for gender-affirming medical care for inmates, such as hormone therapy or surgeries.
The transgender inmate, known by the pseudonym Maria Moe, filed a lawsuit on Sunday, January 28, challenging Trump’s order. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in Boston issued a temporary order to block the prison from transferring her to a men’s facility or stopping her medical care while the case is being reviewed. The judge also ruled that she must stay in the general population of a women’s prison and continue receiving her hormone therapy.
Maria Moe’s lawyers argued that moving her to a men’s prison would put her at “extremely high risk of harassment, abuse, violence, and sexual assault.” They also said that cutting off her hormone treatment, which she has been taking since she was a teenager, would harm her mental and physical health.. Her legal team claimed that Trump’s order violates her constitutional rights, including the Fifth Amendment’s protection against discrimination and the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
This is the first lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order on transgender issues. Three other transgender women in prison filed a similar lawsuit in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, January 31, arguing that the policy is unfair and dangerous.
Judge O’Toole is still deciding whether to issue a longer-lasting injunction to protect Maria Moe and others like her. For now, the temporary order ensures she will remain in a women’s prison and continue receiving her medical care.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston has not commented on the case. Meanwhile, LGBTQ rights groups, including GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), are supporting Maria Moe and other transgender inmates fighting against Trump’s policy.
This case highlights the ongoing debate over transgender rights and the impact of Trump’s executive orders. For now, Maria Moe and others like her have a temporary reprieve, but the legal battle is far from over.
