Appeals Court Upholds Red State’s Child Sex Change Ban

An Indiana law banning sex-change treatments for minors will stay in force, following a federal appeals court ruling Wednesday.

In a 2-1 decision, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law, affirming that Indiana’s General Assembly has the authority to implement these restrictions without violating the constitutional rights of minors, their parents, or medical providers, according to the court document. The ruling builds on a February decision by the Chicago-based appeals court, which lifted a temporary injunction and allowed the law to take effect.

The decision fully vacated the injunction, granting state officials the authority to enforce the law moving forward. Indiana’s statute, enacted in April 2023 amid a wave of similar GOP-led legislation across the country, initially faced a block in June when U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon intervened to prevent parts of the law from taking effect, according to The Associated Press.

While Judge Hanlon permitted a ban on sex-change surgeries for minors, he temporarily halted restrictions on hormone therapies and puberty blockers, as well as a provision barring Indiana doctors from consulting with out-of-state physicians on these matters for patients under 18, according to the AP. Since 2021, more than 20 states have imposed similar laws restricting or banning sex-change treatments, despite these services being available for more than a decade and endorsed by major medical organizations.

Following the appeals court’s February decision, the ACLU of Indiana called the ruling “heartbreaking” for affected youth, families, and healthcare providers and pledged to “challenge this law until it is permanently overturned,” the AP reported. ACLU spokesperson Laura Forbes stated on Thursday that the organization is “weighing our options” regarding further appeals.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Gender symbols Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1921147)

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