Texas SC greenlights law banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans minors

The Texas Supreme Court has greenlit a new law banning gender-affirming care for minors. The law will take effect on Friday (September 1st) and will make Texas the most populous US state to impose such restrictions on transgender children.

Activists and legal advocates have labelled the new law and the court's decision 'cruel', however, conservative groups have welcomed it and say 'kids are safer today'.

What the law bans

As per a report by news agency AP, the Texas law would prevent transgender minors from accessing treatments such as hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition surgeries.

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The report states that medical experts have long said that such surgical procedures are rarely performed on children. 

It also stipulates that children who were already undergoing the prohibited medications and treatments are required to be weaned off "the prescription drug over a period of time and in a manner that is safe and medically appropriate."

'Cruel' decision or not

Advocacy groups fighting for gender-affirming care in the state on Thursday called the court's decision and the law "cruel" and said that "the fight is far from over."

"Transgender youth and their families are forced to confront the start of the school year, fearful of what awaits them. But let us be clear: The fight is far from over," they said in a joint statement.

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On the other hand, Jonathan Covey, policy director of Texas Values, a conservative group that supported the law, hailed the decision and said: "Texas kids are safer today because of the Supreme Court ruling."

"Protecting children from harmful and dangerous gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers is in the best interests of the child and something we all agree on," added Covey.

From June, till now

The ban was signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on 2 June 2023. The law which bans medical professionals from prescribing hormone blockers or performing gender-transitioning surgeries on anyone under 18 years old was set to come into effect on September 1.

However, legal advocates of gender-affirming care, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, had filed a lawsuit opposing the ban.

Last week, a state district judge ruled that the pending law infringes upon the rights of transgender minors and their families to access appropriate medical care. 

The judge also noted that the law violated doctors' ability to follow "well-established, evidence-based" medical guidelines without risking the loss of their medical licences.

Subsequently, the judge issued a temporary injunction to halt the law's implementation, prompting state officials to appeal the decision to the state's highest court.

Texas Supreme Court ruling

The Texas Supreme Court, which, as per AP, is composed entirely of Republican judges, lifted the injunction and allowed the law to take effect as scheduled. They did this without providing an explanation for the decision. 

However, their action did not address the lower court's assertion of the law's unconstitutionality, and a full hearing on the matter is expected.

(With inputs from agencies)

 

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