Alabama wins federal appeals court ruling to enforce puberty blocker ban for transgender minors
The Alabama Attorney General, Steve Marshall, described the ruling as a 'significant victory for our country, for children, and for common sense.'
On Monday, a federal appeals court made a decision that Alabama is allowed to enforce a prohibition against the use of puberty blockers and hormones for treating transgender children. This marks the second appellate triumph for restrictions on gender-affirming care, which have been increasingly implemented by Republican-controlled states.
A trio of judges on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a judge's temporary injunction against putting the law into effect. A trial to decide whether to permanently bar the law is set for April 2, NBC News reports.
The Alabama Attorney General, Steve Marshall, described the ruling as a “significant victory for our country, for children, and for common sense.”
Steve Marshall further stated, “The Eleventh Circuit reinforced that the State has the authority to safeguard the physical and psychological wellbeing of minors.”
In removing the temporary injunction, the judges stated that states have “a compelling interest in protecting children from drugs, particularly those for which there is uncertainty regarding benefits, recent surges in use, and irreversible effects.”
The injunction will stay in effect until the court delivers the mandate, a process that could take several days. However, once it is officially rescinded, the attorney general's office will have the power to enforce the ban, potentially subjecting doctors to imprisonment.
The decision comes on the heels of a series of rulings in recent weeks that have opposed similar prohibitions. In June, a federal judge invalidated a comparable law in Arkansas, which was the first state to implement such a ban. A minimum of 20 states have put laws into effect that limit or prohibit gender-affirming care for minors.
In 2022, Alabama's Governor Kay Ivey enacted the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, turning it into law. This legislation makes it a felony for doctors to treat individuals under the age of 19 with puberty blockers or hormones to affirm their gender identity, a crime that could lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Rebel News LIVE!
Rebel News Live is coming to Toronto on May 11. Get tickets now to the most provocative, most interesting, and most freedom-oriented conference in Canada!
Buy ticketsDon't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.
Don't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.