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In a stunning rebuke of a Trump-era policy, a D.C. federal judge has ordered the immediate restoration of public health webpages and datasets that were abruptly under an initiative targeting so-called “gender ideology.”

The decision, issued Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, marks a significant victory for Doctors for America (DFA), a physician advocacy group that argued the purge of medical resources jeopardized patient care and violated federal law.

Webpages Must Be Restored by Friday

In a swift and decisive order, Judge Bates directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reinstate at least a dozen webpages by the end of Tuesday.

The court also instructed the agencies to collaborate with DFA to identify and restore additional crucial webpages by Friday.

Doctors Warn of Life-Threatening Consequences

DFA argued that the sudden disappearance of these webpages had disrupted patient care, particularly for low-income patients who rely on government health resources.

Judge Bates cited Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, a physician who treats economically disadvantaged patients and depends on CDC materials to prescribe treatments.

Without immediate restoration, the court warned, some patients could be left untreated for life-threatening conditions due to delayed or missed appointments.

Government’s Defense Falls Flat

During a tense, 90-minute hearing on Monday, Department of Justice attorney James William Harlow struggled to justify the webpage removals, arguing that the content was still accessible through internet archives like the Wayback Machine.

Judge Bates was unmoved, calling the argument “circular” and “unpersuasive”. He ruled that DFA had demonstrated irreparable harm, clearing the way for a temporary restraining order against the government.

Trump-Era Policy Targeted “Gender Ideology”

The legal battle stems from a January 29 memo by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which ordered federal agencies to purge online content deemed to “promote or inculcate gender ideology”.

The directive, issued to enforce former President Donald Trump’s executive order recognizing only two “immutable” sexes, clashed with the views of leading medical organizations like the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association, which recognize gender as a spectrum rather than a binary.

A Win for Public Health – But What’s Next?

DFA’s attorney, Zachary R. Shelley, hailed the ruling as a major victory for doctors, patients, and public health nationwide.