One strategy used by anti-transgender activists is to solicit plaintiffs and subsidize litigation against providers of trans healthcare. They often do this by grooming ex-trans activists with regret about making a gender transition.
A note on legal terms
Most of these “detransition” cases get terminated or dismissed, usually before the case goes to a jury. Termination or dismissal of a civil case can happen for many reasons:
Voluntary dismissal
- Voluntary dismissal without prejudice: Case is dismissed, but the plaintiff can refile.
- Voluntary dismissal with prejudice: Case is dismissed permanently and cannot be refiled.
- Notice of dismissal (before defendant answers).
- Stipulated dismissal (both sides agree).
Involuntary dismissal
- Terminated by the court: often because a party failed to meet legal standards or deadlines.
- Failure to state a claim: even if everything the plaintiff says is true, the facts don’t add up to a legal violation, so the court can’t give a remedy.
- Lack of jurisdiction: subject-matter (the court isn’t allowed to decide this type of case) or personal (the court doesn’t have authority over the person or company being sued).
- Improper venue: case is filed in the wrong location or court
- Failure to prosecute: plaintiff does nothing; case stalls.
- Failure to obey court orders: party didn’t follow instructions from the judge
- Insufficient service of process.
- Summary judgment granted for defendat: no trial needed because there is no factual dispute.
- Judgment on the pleadings: judge decides the case based only on the written claims and responses, which show one side clearly wins.
- Statute of limitations (SOL) expired: the time limit to file the lawsuit has passed (often a factor in these cases).
- Mootness: the issue no longer exists or no remedy is possible.
- Standing deficiency: plaintiff had no legal stake.
- Fraud on the court or sanction-based dismissal: usually due to lawyer conduct.
Termination by settlement (often confidential)
- Settlement agreement: the parties resolve the dispute; case is dismissed (usually with prejudice).
- Arbitration award leads to dismissal: many of these cases have an arbitration clause.
- Mediation agreement that results in dismissal.
Termination by judgment or verdict
- Judgment after trial (for plaintiff or defendant): most of these cases do not go to trial.
- Directed verdict or judgment as a matter of law: judge determines that no reasonable jury could rule otherwise.
- Default judgment: defendant fails to respond.
- Nonsuit: the plaintiff’s evidence is found to be insufficient; case dismissed by judge.
- Bench trial decision: the judge rules rather than a jury.
Administrative or technical termination
- Death of a party.
- Settlement of all class-action claims.
- Expiration of an injunction or temporary order.
- Vacating a prior judgment: case ends with no action left.
Appellate-related termination
- Appeal dismissed (procedural issues or settlement).
- Appeal results in remand with instructions to dismiss.
- Reversal with final judgment entered.
- Certiorari denied: a higher court refused to review a lower court’s decision.