Texas Supreme Court Allows Law Banning Transgender Procedures for Minors

A Texas law banning transgender procedures for minors will go into effect on Friday, now that the state Supreme Court has lifted a temporary injunction issued by a lower court.

Last week, a Texas district judge ruled that the law banning the medical transition of minors violated the rights of transgender children, as well as the alleged rights of doctors who follow “well-established, evidence-based” medical guidelines. After the judge issued the temporary injunction, Texas officials immediately appealed to the state Supreme Court, the highest court for civil cases in the state.

The order from the Supreme Court lifting the injunction provided no further explanation as to the constitutional reasoning behind the decision, though a full hearing on the law and the lower court’s ruling is expected soon. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which filed the lawsuit against the law, called the Texas Supreme Court’s decision “cruel.”

“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,” the group said.

Come Friday, minors who identify as transgender in the Lone Star state will no longer have access to hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition surgeries. Minors who have already started transitioning will be required to wean off their current regiment in a “medically appropriate” manner.

Jonathan Covey, policy director of Texas Values, hailed the decision as a win for the state’s children.

“Texas kids are safer today because of the Supreme Court ruling,” said Covey. “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.”

Texas will become the 21st state to ban the transitioning of minors, each with varying degrees of restrictions and penalties for offenders. Some states have gone so far as to punish healthcare providers who assist in the transitioning of minors, while others have given exceptions to minors that have already begun transitioning.