Federal courts side with transgender people in health care and sports disputes

Transgender people saw two major breaks in federal court cases Monday over health care access and the ability to play in women’s sports.

A federal court in New York halted the Trump administration’s move to roll back health care protections under the Affordable Care Act for transgender people, while another federal court in Idaho issued an injunction against a state law banning transgender women from women’s sports.

The health-care-related injunction issued by Judge Frederic Block, a Clinton appointee, reasoned President Trump’s administration couldn’t change part of the Affordable Care Act that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex for health care access and coverage.