Texas Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that a controversial law banning gender-affirming care for minors is constitutional, rejecting arguments from parents, physicians, and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. The law, known as Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), prohibits gender modification surgeries and the prescription of puberty blockers for minors.

Majority Opinion

"Parents do have a right to seek care and authority in raising their children, but those parental rights are not absolute...The Legislature made a permissible, rational policy choice to limit the types of available medical procedures for children, particularly in light of the relative nascency of both gender dysphoria and its treatment options." - Justice Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle

Dissenting Opinion

"SB 14 exceeds its constitutional limits, invading the privacy and protections guaranteed in the Bill of Rights...The law is not only cruel - it is unconstitutional." - Justice Debra Lehrmann

Reactions:

Plaintiffs and LGBTQ+ Legal Advocacy Groups:
"Our government shouldn't deprive trans youth of healthcare...Texas politicians' obsession with attacking trans kids and families is needlessly cruel." - Ash Hall, ACLU of Texas

Attorney General Ken Paxton:
"We will always defend children in Texas from these irreversible procedures...My office will use every tool to ensure compliance with SB 14."

Paxton's office previously sought medical records of transgender youth who left Texas for out-of-state gender-affirming care, but these requests were dropped. The law faces continued legal challenges, with the ACLU and others vowing to fight for the rights of transgender youth and their families.

Sources:

• Texas Supreme Court allows ban on puberty-blockers, hormone treatment for transgender youth to remain in place
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vows to defend ban on gender-affirming care for kids