Judge Rules Federal Rule on Gender Discrimination Violates Catholic Beliefs

An update to the rule does not eliminate the violation, the judge said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the Hubert H. Humphrey building in Washington on April 28, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

A rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) violates the beliefs of members of a Catholic association, a federal judge ruled on June 5.

The HHS rule requiring members of the Catholic Benefits Association to perform transgender procedures “violates their sincerely held religious beliefs without satisfying strict scrutiny,” U.S. District Judge Peter Welte said in a 19-page decision.