A transgender woman incarcerated in a federal prison sits alone in her cell, reflecting the growing controversy over policies that could force transgender inmates off hormone therapy under Executive Order 14168. (Image generated by ChatGPT using DALL·E, 2026.)
Executive Order 14168, issued on January 20, 2025 and titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, has reshaped how transgender people are treated by federal institutions. While much public discussion has centered on gender markers or legal recognition of transgender identity, one of the most immediate and dangerous consequences of the order has emerged inside the federal prison system. In particular, policy changes following the order have led to attempts by federal prison authorities to discontinue hormone therapy and other gender-affirming medical treatments for incarcerated transgender people. For many transgender inmates, this policy shift represents not only a denial of identity but also a serious threat to physical and psychological health. At the same time, the logic behind these policies raises broader concerns about how transgender people may be treated by federal institutions beyond the prison system.
The executive order directs federal agencies to recognize only two sexes—male and female—defined as immutable and determined at conception (The White House, 2025). This directive eliminates gender identity as a category recognized in federal administration. When applied to the federal prison system, the policy affects how prisoners are classified, housed, and treated medically. Most critically, it has been used to justify attempts to eliminate or restrict gender-affirming healthcare for incarcerated transgender people.
Gender-affirming hormone therapy is widely recognized by major medical organizations as a necessary treatment for individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Medical consensus holds that hormone therapy can significantly reduce psychological distress, depression, and suicide risk among transgender patients. Within prison environments—where individuals already face isolation, stress, and restricted autonomy—continuity of medical care is considered especially important. Nevertheless, following the issuance of Executive Order 14168, federal prison officials moved to halt or restrict such treatment.
Reporting by the Associated Press indicates that the policy shift prompted the Federal Bureau of Prisons to attempt to terminate or suspend hormone therapy for transgender inmates in federal custody (Riccardi & Kunzelman, 2025). The decision sparked immediate legal challenges from incarcerated transgender individuals who argued that the abrupt withdrawal of medically prescribed treatment would cause severe harm. In multiple cases, courts were asked to intervene to prevent the termination of hormone therapy.
In June 2025, a federal judge ruled that the Bureau of Prisons must continue providing hormone therapy to transgender inmates while litigation proceeds. Reuters journalist Nate Raymond reported that the court found the government had failed to justify abruptly ending treatment that physicians had previously deemed medically necessary (Raymond, 2025). The ruling emphasized that forcing transgender prisoners to discontinue hormone therapy could produce serious psychological consequences and potentially violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
Despite these court rulings, recent reporting suggests that federal prison policies continue to move toward restricting gender-affirming care. In March 2026, Samantha Riedel reported in Them that federal prison authorities had begun implementing policies requiring transgender inmates receiving hormone therapy to gradually discontinue those medications (Riedel, 2026). According to medical experts cited in the report, forced withdrawal from hormone therapy can lead to severe depression, anxiety, and increased risk of self-harm. For individuals who have relied on hormone therapy for years as part of a medically supervised transition, being forced off treatment can trigger profound physical and psychological distress.
These medical risks are particularly concerning in correctional environments. Prison systems already struggle with high rates of mental health crises, and incarcerated individuals frequently have limited access to specialized medical care. When transgender inmates are forced off hormone therapy, the resulting psychological distress can be intensified by the conditions of confinement, including isolation, stigma, and lack of support networks. The loss of hormone therapy can also have visible physical effects that may expose transgender prisoners to additional harassment or violence from other inmates.
Although these developments are occurring within federal prisons, the implications extend beyond incarcerated populations. Policies implemented within prisons often reflect broader ideological frameworks that can shape how government agencies treat marginalized groups more generally. When federal policy defines sex as immutable and rejects the legitimacy of gender identity, that definition may influence how transgender people are treated across a wide range of institutions, including healthcare systems, identification programs, and federal employment policies.
The attempt to eliminate hormone therapy for transgender prisoners demonstrates how quickly policy can shift from symbolic definitions to control over medical care and bodily autonomy. If federal institutions can deny gender-affirming treatment to incarcerated individuals based on a policy redefining sex, similar arguments could potentially be used to justify restrictions in other contexts. While prisoners occupy a uniquely vulnerable position under government authority, policies affecting them can serve as testing grounds for broader administrative approaches.
History offers numerous examples in which policies applied first to prisoners or other marginalized groups later expand into wider legal frameworks. In the case of Executive Order 14168, the removal of gender identity from federal policy raises concerns that transgender people may face increasing barriers to medical care and legal recognition across multiple institutions. For transgender Americans, the developments within federal prisons therefore represent more than a correctional policy dispute; they signal how federal authority may increasingly regulate transgender bodies and identities.
The ongoing legal challenges surrounding hormone therapy in federal prisons will play a significant role in determining the future of transgender healthcare within federal institutions. Courts must decide whether the abrupt withdrawal of medically necessary treatment constitutes deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, which could violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The outcome of these cases will shape not only the lives of transgender prisoners but also the broader legal landscape governing transgender rights in the United States.
Executive Order 14168 has therefore created a situation in which the treatment of transgender inmates has become a focal point in a larger struggle over recognition, medical care, and bodily autonomy. The attempt to force transgender prisoners off hormone therapy illustrates how administrative policy decisions can translate into immediate and profound consequences for vulnerable individuals. At the same time, it raises deeper questions about how far such policies might extend and what they could mean for transgender people beyond prison walls.
References
Raymond, N. (2025, June 3). U.S. judge says federal prisons must continue hormone therapy for transgender inmates. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-orders-prisons-continue-hormone-therapy-transgender-inmates
Riccardi, N., & Kunzelman, M. (2025, January 23). What to know about President Donald Trump’s order targeting transgender rights. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-passports-prisons-eggs-sperm-da1d1d280658a8c85c57cfec2f30cefb
Riedel, S. (2026, March 10). Federal prisons are beginning to force trans inmates off hormone therapy. Them. https://www.them.us/story/federal-prisons-are-beginning-to-force-trans-inmates-off-hormone-therapy
The White House. (2025). Executive Order 14168: Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government. https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-02090.pdf
The recent announcement from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that gender-affirming health care will be excluded from the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) programs beginning in 2026 represents a profound step backward in civil rights and health equity. Under this directive, chemical and surgical interventions for gender transition will no longer be covered, though counseling for gender dysphoria must remain available. Insurance carriers are required to develop exceptions processes for individuals currently undergoing such care, yet the parameters of those processes remain undefined. Providers of gender-affirming care are also barred from being listed in plan directories, effectively discouraging access (Office of Personnel Management, 2025; Moss, 2025).
Hunger by Choice: The SNAP Crisis No One Needed
By Katherine Walter
On October 31, 2025
In United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Volunteers prepare food packages at a local distribution center as millions face uncertainty over SNAP benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown. (Image generated by ChatGPT using DALL·E, 2025.)
I write this as someone who served for twelve years as a Senior Program Specialist for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). During my time with the agency, I witnessed firsthand how critical the program is to millions of American families. The system depends on a consistent flow of federal funds, and when that flow is interrupted—as it will be tomorrow—the consequences are devastating.
Beginning November 1, SNAP benefits are set to lapse due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The USDA announced that it will not issue new benefits because regular appropriations have not been passed for fiscal year 2026 (Associated Press, 2025). The department has stated that it cannot legally draw from the contingency fund to cover regular benefits, even though those funds exist for emergencies (Reuters, 2025).
The USDA maintains an emergency or contingency fund of approximately $5 to $6 billion. That money was created to ensure that families would not go hungry during funding lapses or disasters. Experts argue that the USDA has both the legal authority and the moral obligation to tap this fund (Center for American Progress, 2019). From my years working within the program, I know that withholding this funding is not a technical necessity—it is a political decision.
More than 42 million Americans depend on SNAP each month (Center for American Progress, 2019). If those benefits stop, food insecurity will spike immediately. Local food banks will be overwhelmed, and low-income families will struggle to put meals on the table. The refusal to release the contingency funds ensures that millions will suffer unnecessarily.
In an October 24 memo, the USDA stated that “SNAP contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits” and that “the contingency fund is not available to support FY 2026 regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists” (Reuters, 2025, para. 4). However, this interpretation contradicts previous USDA practices. In past shutdowns, the department used available reserves to issue benefits, recognizing the essential nature of the program (Center for American Progress, 2019).
Republican lawmakers have claimed that the shutdown—and the resulting SNAP lapse—is the fault of Democrats for refusing to pass appropriations or a continuing resolution. They argue that accessing contingency funds would be “legally unavailable” or would create administrative chaos (Politico, 2025). These talking points are misleading. The contingency fund is legally available under the Food and Nutrition Act, and the infrastructure for benefit issuance remains intact (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2025). The administration’s decision not to use the funds is political, not procedural.
From my professional experience, I can say that the USDA’s current position is indefensible. SNAP’s contingency fund exists precisely to prevent hunger during political gridlock. To deny families access to food because of an interpretation of funding language is a dereliction of duty. Past administrations, regardless of party, have prioritized feeding Americans even during shutdowns. That precedent should not end now.
By this weekend, millions of Americans will begin to feel the impact. Food banks will face long lines. States will scramble for stopgap solutions. Children, seniors, and people with disabilities will suddenly find themselves without the support they have come to rely on. The suffering that will follow is not inevitable—it is a choice. The federal government must either pass funding immediately or authorize the release of contingency funds to keep SNAP operational.
SNAP benefits should not be held hostage to political posturing. This program is one of the most effective anti-poverty tools the nation has ever created. The machinery to deliver aid is ready—the only missing element is political will. The American people deserve better.
References
Associated Press. (2025, October 30). USDA says SNAP benefits to lapse as shutdown drags on. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/8a52a63b26a707ea676962226b090bb1
Center for American Progress. (2019, January 18). The Trump administration has the power and legal obligation to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administration-has-the-power-and-legal-obligation-to-pay-snap-benefits-during-the-shutdown
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2025, October 27). SNAP’s contingency reserve is available for regular SNAP benefits as USDA weighs options. https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/snaps-contingency-reserve-is-available-for-regular-snap-benefits-as-usda
Politico. (2025, October 30). Trump administration faces lawsuit over decision to halt food aid during shutdown. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/30/trump-administration-snap-food-aid-lawsuit-shutdown-00630133
Reuters. (2025, October 24). USDA memo says it will not use emergency funds for November food benefits. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/usda-memo-says-it-will-not-use-emergency-funds-november-food-benefits-2025-10-24