Arkansas became the first U.S. state to ban these juvenile medical procedures in April, with the law due to take effect on July 28. The legal norm was challenged in May by the American Civil Rights Union (ACLU), which did so on behalf of four minors, their families and two doctors. The organization claims in its lawsuit that the ban would seriously harm transgender youth and violate their constitutional rights, writes AP.
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ACLU lawyers said the ban forced some families to consider moving to other states where the health care was legal.
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“Failure of patients or minors to provide this care in the course of it would cause irreparable damage,” said Judge James Moody, who, according to the AP, believes the plaintiff is likely to succeed in his objection. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has said she will appeal to a higher court.
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In April, the Republican-controlled Arkansas Parliament overruled Governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto, which refused to sign the ban following complaints from doctors, parents and social workers. According to them, the norm will harm a group of people who already have a high risk of depression and suicide compared to the majority population. According to a number of experts, similar treatment can significantly benefit their mental health in some young people, and thus save their lives in some cases.
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A transgender girl can compete with girls
In another case, a U.S. federal court ruled on Wednesday that an 11-year-old transgender girl in the state of West Virginia could participate in girls’ athletics competitions. He, too, did so through an interim measure. A law signed in April – banning transgender people from participating in women’s school sports – violated the girl’s right to equal treatment guaranteed by the US constitution.
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Both court rulings are significant victories for sexual minority rights advocates (LGBTs) during a wave of restrictions on transgender people approved by Republican lawmakers in some U.S. states. According to her, the governor of Tennessee signed a similar law in May, as approved by parliament a month earlier in Arkansas. West Virginia is one of at least seven U.S. states that have approved similar restrictions for transgender athletes.
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