The Texas Supreme Court has upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youths, despite pleas from parents who argue that it infringes upon their right to seek medical care for their children.
An 8-1 ruling from the court, which consists entirely of Republican judges, has upheld a law that has been in effect since September 1, 2023. Texas, like many other states, has implemented laws that limit or prohibit gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
Several states are currently facing lawsuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court has recently decided to hear an appeal from the Biden administration regarding state bans on gender-affirming care. A Tennessee law that limits puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors is currently being considered by the high court, mirroring a similar law in Texas.
Restrictions on medical treatments for transgender minors in Texas have been implemented, including hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition surgeries, despite the fact that surgical procedures are rarely conducted on children. Children who were already taking the medications that have since been banned had to gradually stop taking them under the guidance of medical professionals.
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Justice Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle wrote in the court’s decision that the Legislature’s choice to limit available medical procedures for children was a rational policy decision. This choice was made considering the early stages of understanding gender dysphoria and its treatments, as well as the Legislature’s constitutional authority to regulate medicine.
A lawsuit has been filed against the Texas law, claiming that it has severe repercussions for transgender teenagers who are unable to access necessary treatment as advised by their doctors and parents. In a dissenting opinion, the lone justice expressed concern that the ruling by the Texas Supreme Court could potentially undermine fundamental parental rights.
The law was deemed unconstitutional by a lower court, but it was still allowed to be implemented while the state Supreme Court reviewed the case as per NBC News.
Texas’ Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, expressed his determination on the social platform X to enforce the law and ensure that doctors and medical institutions comply with it, utilizing all available resources.
