In a recent development, the Texas Supreme Court upheld a state law that prohibits doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors. The ruling came after parents and medical professionals challenged the constitutionality of the restriction.
The Texas law, which has been in effect since September 2023, bars transgender individuals under the age of 18 from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition surgeries. The court's decision leaves in place a ban that is part of a larger backlash against transgender rights and mirrors similar laws in at least 25 states led by Republican legislatures.
The Texas Supreme Court's all-Republican bench ruled that fit parents have the right to raise their children without government interference, but this right is not absolute. The court found that the Legislature's constitutional authority to regulate medicine outweighs parental autonomy in this case.
Children who had already started hormone therapy were required to taper off their use under the law. The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual recognizes gender dysphoria as a legitimate medical condition, and many medical organizations support gender-affirming care for transgender youths.
The ruling was met with criticism from advocacy groups such as Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Texas, who argue that the ban violates children's rights to access necessary medical care. The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimates that there are over 150,000 transgender youths in the United States.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the court's decision and plans to defend the law against those who violate it. Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law last year, stating that it is their job to protect people.
The Texas Supreme Court's ruling on gender-affirming care for transgender minors is a significant step in a larger cultural debate over transgender rights and the role of government in regulating medical treatment for minors.