9th Circuit Revives DOJ Subpoena Against QueerDoc

A federal appeals court on Friday revived a Justice Department subpoena demanding patient and personnel records from QueerDoc, a telehealth clinic that provides gender-affirming care to minors, marking the first time an appellate court has upheld such a demand from the Trump administration. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, reversed a lower court order that had blocked the subpoena, finding that a Seattle federal judge wrongly concluded the demand was issued in bad faith to pressure the clinic into stopping its services.

The ruling, issued on August 15, 2026, sends the case back to U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle. He will now consider QueerDoc's remaining arguments that the subpoena is overly broad and would impose an undue burden on the small clinic. The appeals court did not order QueerDoc to produce the documents.

The subpoena, part of a wave of similar demands issued to hospitals and clinics nationwide, sought extensive records including unredacted patient names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, diagnostic records for minors prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy, staff personnel files, and communications with drug...