An Indiana law banning gender-affirming care to minors has been temporarily blocked an injunction issued by a federal judge. File Photo by Hayoung Jeon/EPA-EFE
June 17 (UPI) — A ruling issued by a federal judge has temporarily blocked most aspects of an Indiana law banning puberty blockers, gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy care for minors.
In his injunction issued Friday, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon prevented implementation of the measure while a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of four transgender youth has yet to be fully resolved.
In its suit, the ACLU argues the state of Indiana “has displaced the judgement of parents, doctors, and adolescents with that of the government” with the law. The civil liberties group filed the case immediately after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the law in April.
Judge Hanlon, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, said the state could not ban “speech that would aid or abet gender transition procedures for minors” while his injunction was in place.
But he also denied a request by the transgender youth to permanently freeze the ban, asserting they “lack standing to challenge that ban because gender reassignment surgeries are not provided to minors in Indiana.”
The ACLU hailed the injunction, calling it a “testament to the trans youth of Indiana, their families, and their allies, who never gave up the fight to protect access to gender-affirming care and who will continue to defend the right of all trans people to be their authentic selves, free from discrimination.”
“We won’t rest until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good,” said Ken Falk, ACLU Indiana’s legal director.
“We warned lawmakers that if they passed laws attacking trans people that they would see us in court,” added Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice with the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project.
“This victory belongs to the families who have bravely participated in this case, as well as other trans youth in Indiana who spoke up about the harms created by this law.”