NOT HAVING IT

Appeals Court Swats Down Arkansas’ Ban on Care for Trans Kids

The state has been temporarily blocked from enforcing its 2021 law that prohibits gender-affirming medical care for trans children.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday said Arkansas cannot enforce its 2021 law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender kids. “Because the minor's sex at birth determines whether or not the minor can receive certain types of medical care under the law, Act 626 discriminates on the basis of sex,” the court said in its ruling. A trial in October will determine whether the law is permanently blocked. The ACLU had challenged the ban on behalf of four trans children and their families, and two doctors who provide gender affirming treatments. The Justice Department and American Medical Association have also opposed the ban. However, Arkansas maintains that Act 626 falls under the state's authority to regulate medical care.