Key takeaways:
- A federal judge in Kentucky has blocked portions of a law that would have banned transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
- In Tennessee, the judge stopped short of also blocking the ban gender-affirming surgeries for youth.
- The rulings in Kentucky and Tennessee are seen as a victory for transgender rights advocates, and are hoped to set a precedent for other states considering similar bans.
Federal judges in Kentucky and Tennessee have temporarily blocked portions of bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, just days before the statutes were set to go into effect. The rulings are similar to roadblocks that federal courts have thrown up against Republican-dominant states in their pursuit to prevent young people from receiving transgender health care.
In Kentucky, the judge blocked portions of the law that would have banned transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy. In Tennessee, the judge stopped short of also blocking the ban gender-affirming surgeries for youth.
The rulings come as lawmakers in North Carolina finalized their own version of a gender-affirming care ban on Wednesday. The law would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and gender-affirming surgeries.
The rulings in Kentucky and Tennessee are seen as a victory for transgender rights advocates, who have been fighting against similar bans in other states. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed lawsuits in several states, arguing that the bans are unconstitutional and violate the rights of transgender youth.
The rulings in Kentucky and Tennessee are temporary, and the legal battle over gender-affirming care for transgender youth is far from over. Advocates are hopeful that the rulings will set a precedent for other states considering similar bans.
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