Three military families are suing the Department of Defense after an abrupt and unlawful policy change that blocks their transgender dependents from accessing essential medical care. For nearly a decade, servicemembers and their families relied on the military health system to provide this care.

In spring 2025, the Trump administration ordered the Department of Defense to prohibit military clinics and hospitals from providing care to transgender adolescent and adult dependents and barred TRICARE, the military’s insurance plan, from covering these services anywhere. The directive was issued without the legally required notice to Congress or affected families, leaving families scrambling to find new providers, pay out-of-pocket, or risk their dependent’s health.

This is a sweeping reversal of military health policy and a betrayal of military families who have sacrificed for our country. When a servicemember is deployed, they deserve to know their family is taken care of.

The case was filed on behalf of the families in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR), Brown Goldstein & Levy, LLP, and Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP. The families are proceeding anonymously to protect their safety.