Featured Cases: Challenges to Florida's and Arkansas's Transgender Healthcare Bans

Two recent decisions have enjoined -- preliminarily and permanently -- state laws prohibiting transgender healthcare for persons under age 18. 

A federal court in Florida has issued a preliminary injunction enjoining enforcement of two Florida statutes that prohibit the use of puberty blockers and hormones or hormone antagonists to affirm a person's perception of his or her sex.  Affirming that "gender identity is real," the court found that the plaintiffs, parents of transgender children seeking medical care prohibited under the statutes, were likely to prevail on the merits of their due process and equal protection clause claims.  Read more about the case and access the court's ruling here.  

And a federal court in Arkansas has, after a bench trial, entered judgment for plaintiffs challenging a state law prohibiting medical professionals from providing or referring gender transition procedures to individuals under age eighteen.  The court held that the challenged law violated the equal protection clause, due process clause, and First Amendment has has permanently enjoined its enforcement.  Read more about the case here.