Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court will allow the new state law banning gender-affirming care for minors to take effect on Friday, setting up Texas to be the most populous state with such restrictions on transgender children.
Last week, a state district judge ruled the pending law violated the rights of transgender children and their families to seek appropriate medical care. The judge issued a temporary injunction to block the law.
State officials immediately appealed to the state's highest court (which is all Republican) for civil cases.
The Supreme Court order allowing the law to take effect did not explain the decision. The order did not address whether it's unconstitutional, and a full hearing is expected.
More than 20 states have adopted laws to ban some gender-affirming care for minors, although some are not yet in effect or have been put on hold by courts.
The Texas law would prevent transgender minors from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers and transition surgeries, even though medical experts say such surgical procedures are rarely performed on children. Children who already started the medications being banned are required to be weaned off in a "medically appropriate" manner, the law said.
The lawsuit argued the law will have devastating consequences for transgender teens if they are unable to obtain critical treatment recommended by their physicians and parents.