Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said a major win for our nation, for our children, and common sense has been achieved.
On Monday, a federal appeals court upheld an Alabama statute that forbids puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender minors.
A three-judge panel of the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals removed the interim injunction on enforcement of the statute. According to the Associated Press, the court has scheduled a trial on April 2 to determine whether to prohibit the law permanently.
When deciding to remove the injunction, the justices cited the states’ compelling interest in protecting minors from drugs generally and those with questionable benefits, rising rates of use, and lasting consequences.
When asked to make new decisions in the area of Substantive Due Process, the judges acknowledged that the plaintiffs’ claim that the Constitution protects the right to use puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapy for children is a claim that requires careful consideration.
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed that states have the authority to ensure the safety of juveniles from any threats to their health or mental development.
Parental decision-making advocates counter that government officials should not be making medical decisions about their children’s health.
The Human Rights Campaign, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights published a united statement— Our clients are horrified by this ruling, which exposes them to the risk of suffering irreversible injury if they stop getting the treatment that has helped them prosper up to this point.
Though this judgment affects Alabama’s restriction, others have been made in states with similar bans. Several prohibitions are being challenged in the courts right now.
The Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act was passed into law by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey in 2022, making it a crime for physicians to treat kids with puberty blockers or hormones and carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.
