Professional societies resist rather than comply; FTC sues WPATH

The FTC issued civil investigative demands to WPATH and the Endocrine Society on January 15, 2026 and to the AAP, seeking documentation of their clinical guidance and representations about gender-affirming care for minors. Rather than modify their standards, the societies resisted: WPATH sued and prevailed on First Amendment grounds before Judge James Boasberg (D.D.C.), who found "extensive evidence of animus and wafer-thin justifications lacking evidentiary support"; the AAP petitioned to quash, reaffirmed its 2018 policy statement, and authorized a systematic evidence review to inform expanded guidance. On June 17, 2026 the FTC and four state attorneys general sued WPATH under the FTC Act over its Standards of Care, seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties. This entry documents the absence of capitulation at the guideline-setting layer, in contrast to the provider layer.