Planned Parenthood sues Missouri AG Bailey for investigating its gender-affirming care

Planned Parenthood on Friday announced that it was suing Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey for investigating gender-affirming care that the organization provides in Missouri.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri announced the lawsuit and alleged investigation in a statement Friday, calling on Bailey to “end his sham and unlawful investigation.”

Bailey, a Republican, had previously said his office has been investigating a transgender center in St. Louis over allegations that the center harmed children. However, the separate investigative demand into services provided by Planned Parenthood had not been previously known.

Bailey, according to documents attached to the lawsuit, had demanded records from the organization’s gender-affirming care program on March 14. That request, which was part of Bailey’s ongoing investigation into the St. Louis transgender center, included 54 demands, including patient health information and documents that reference “social media” or “Tik Tok.”

The demands from Bailey’s office include detailed information about Planned Parenthood’s policies regarding gender-affirming care. It also asks the organization to identify the age of the youngest client who received hormone treatments or puberty blockers.

“This investigation is not only outside the scope of the attorney general’s power but politically motivated,” the organization said Friday.

Madeline Sieren, Bailey’s spokesperson, in a statement said that Bailey had asked Planned Parenthood to “provide basic documents” after discovering the organization provides “life-altering gender transition drugs to children without any therapy assessment.”

“Planned Parenthood is running to court to try to hide everything. Missourians should be very concerned,” the statement said.

The lawsuit and investigation comes as Missouri Republicans have embarked on a mission to target procedures that assist minors in transitioning genders.

Bailey’s last month launched an investigation into the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital after a former employee alleged that the center rushed kids into treatment and harmed children. However, patients and parents of patients who spoke with The Star have cast doubt on the allegations.

Bailey also announced earlier this month that his office planned to file a set of emergency rules aimed at restricting how doctors provide gender-affirming care to minors.

The rules include strict psychological therapy requirements for doctors providing care as well as banning care until all of a patient’s other mental health issues have been treated and resolved. Doctors and LGBTQ advocates previously told The Star that Bailey’s rules would be difficult to enforce but may create a chilling effect for both patients and doctors providing care.

Yamelsie Rodríguez, Planned Parenthood’s president and CEO, said in a statement Friday that the organization would continue providing care while it fights the investigation.

“This investigation is what ignorance and transphobia look like, and they have no place in our exam rooms,” she said.