The Texas Supreme Court has rejected a motion to halt the implementation of a new law that prohibits gender-affirming care for most minors. This law, which was passed by the Republican-led Texas state legislature earlier this year, is scheduled to take effect on Friday.
A coalition of families and healthcare professionals had previously filed a lawsuit to block the law. Last week, a district court temporarily halted the law, citing concerns that it violated the rights of transgender children. The Texas attorney general’s office subsequently appealed this decision to the state Supreme Court, which is entirely composed of Republican justices.
This legislation, known as SB14, aims to prevent transgender minors from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition surgeries. Those who are already undergoing such treatments would be gradually transitioned off them in a medically appropriate manner.
It’s important to note that medical experts have emphasized that gender-affirming surgical procedures are rarely performed on children.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that “transgender adolescents in Texas are now faced with the loss of access to safe, effective, and medically necessary treatment, and their parents are faced with the loss of their ability to direct their children’s medical treatment.”
The Texas Supreme Court’s decision to allow the law to proceed was made without providing an explanation.
It’s worth mentioning that Texas is one of more than 20 states that have recently passed laws aimed at restricting gender-affirming care, though not all of these laws have been enacted. Texas, with its large population, is the most populous state among those implementing such bans.