Four Georgia families filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court seeking an injunction to stop the enforcement of Georgia’s ban on gender-affirming medicine.
The law, which goes into effect on July 1, bans doctors from providing gender-positive treatment to transgender people under the age of 18. Gender-affirming treatments may include surgery and hormone therapy.
of lawAlso known as Senate Bill 140, the bill allows doctors to prescribe puberty blockers to transgender youth. But some doctors and activists argue that long-term use of puberty inhibitors may not be safe and that follow-up with hormone therapy is necessary.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one of the three groups and two law firms named in the lawsuit, said it would be harmful to allow puberty inhibitors while banning hormone therapy. It said it was a “wrong” choice that could lead to
“Adolescent blockers are a bridge to the next decision point for parents, adolescents and physicians,” the ACLU said in a news release. “Allowing transgender youth to use puberty blockers while banning them from taking hormone treatments is building a bridge to nowhere.”
The plaintiffs, using pseudonyms, allege that the law deprives them of the right to make independent decisions about their children’s medical care. They also say that transgender youth are one of the most “vulnerable” groups.
Researchers across the country say transgender youth are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than cisgender youth.
Plaintiff Emma Coe said, “The law targets transgender youth and their families, as well as health care providers who follow standards of care.” “My right as a parent to decide what health care is best for my daughter has been taken away. She can grow, develop, and live a happy, authentic life just like any other child in Georgia.”
A similar ban in Arkansas was overturned by a federal judge on June 20. The judge said the law could harm minors and violated the First, Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Plaintiffs in the Georgia action were represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the Georgia ACLU (ACLU-GA), the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), and law firms O’Melveny & Myers LLP and Kaplan. serving. Cobb LLP Law Firm. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
The lawsuit named leaders of the Georgia Department of Community Health and the Georgia General Medical Board as defendants. GPB News contacted both organizations. The Georgia Department of Community Health declined to comment, and the Georgia General Medical Board did not respond.
this story is published in The Current GA through a press partnership with GPB News, a non-profit news editorial office covering the state of Georgia.
