In early 2026, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) issued a new policy requiring incarcerated transgender people to “taper off” and eventually discontinue gender-affirming hormone therapy. This directive follows President Trump’s executive order—initially signed in early 2025—which characterizes gender identity as “disconnected from biological reality” and bars federal funds for transition-related care. Under the policy, hormones are replaced with antidepressants and psychiatric counseling.
Advocates warn this shift will lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, increased self-harm, and suicide. While a 2025 federal injunction in Kingdom v. Trump temporarily blocked these restrictions, recent reports indicate widespread noncompliance across federal facilities. Legal experts continue to challenge the ban, arguing that denying medically necessary care constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” under the Eighth Amendment.
