Leading advocacy groups have filed a case against a new Tennessee law that restricts doctors from providing transgender healthcare, also known as gender-affirming care. The restriction includes using puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the LGBTQ organization located in Lambda. It was submitted in a Nashville federal court and argued that the law discriminates against the transgender community.
Tennessee's Ban on Transgender Youth Medical Procedures Being Challenged
According to the shared article in Yahoo! News, the law sparked a lot of controversies as the Republican state lawmakers passed it back in February this year. It bans any medical procedure of gender-transitioning from minors, saying that their assigned birth must be preserved. Despite this, many medical associations have criticized the ban as deeply transphobic, exclaiming that gender-affirming care is a safe lifesaver for youths struggling with gender dysphoria.
The lawsuit aims to explain and be an eye-opener that the restriction could have tragic consequences. Depriving the minors of the necessary healthcare they need regarding their gender identity could harm these children and their families. The advocacy groups exclaim that if gender dysphoria is not treated, it will lead to mental instability, including anxiety, depression, and, worse, a suicidal mentality. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three families with transgender children and to a doctor who performs gender-affirming care.
The Attorney General of Tennessee, Jonathan Skrmetti, still needs to give his response to the requests for a statement regarding this lawsuit. The ban was enacted last month by Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee along with a different law that limited drag shows in public areas. The latter was stopped earlier this month while a federal judge awaited the outcome of a lawsuit brought by an LGBTQ theater company.
Also Read:Hawley Bill Focuses on Transgender Youth Clinics Fear Targeted Attack on Gender-Affirming Care
Over 20% of Transgender Youth Denied Access to Vital Healthcare, New Report Reveals
A recent study that the Movement Advancement Project conducted reveals that more than one in five transgender youths live in states where they are restricted from having access to the necessary treatment of gender-affirming care.
According to the article of The Hill, since 2021, fifteen states have implemented these types of restrictions despite the fact that most of the leading medical associations consider this type of care medically necessary. States like Alabama, Idaho, and North Dakota have taken further steps by making gender-affirming care to minors a felony offense, punishable by significant fines and prison sentences.
The article in HuffPost says that due to alleged violations of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, this law that restricts the necessary care is being questioned and challenged. They believe that the law is just an attack on transgender people rather than looking out for the well-being of the youth.
The case stresses the fact that while the prohibited treatments are permitted for other causes but they are not permitted when they are used to support a gender identity that is different from the person's assigned sex at birth. The lawsuit also claims that the restriction violates the 14th Amendment's due process guarantee for parental autonomy.
Related Article: Attorney General of Missouri Imposes Emergency Order Limiting Gender-Affirming Treatments
