Indiana’s ban on gender-affirming care was permitted to take effect by a federal appeals court on Tuesday, overturning a temporary injunction granted by a judge last year.
A panel of justices on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago issued the ruling. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a legal challenge against the ban, which was enacted last spring as part of a national effort by GOP-led legislatures to restrict LGBTQ+ rights. This recent decision is the latest development in the case.
The law was scheduled to become effective on July 1, 2023.
However, in June, U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued an injunction that stopped most of it from being implemented. Hanlon prevented the state from restricting minors’ access to hormone therapies and puberty blockers while permitting the law’s ban on gender-affirming surgeries to be enforced.
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Hanlon’s ruling also prevented restrictions on Indiana doctors from communicating with out-of-state doctors regarding gender-affirming care for patients under 18.
The ACLU of Indiana issued a statement on Tuesday over the appeals court’s ruling, which they described as “heartbreaking” for transgender youth, their doctors, and families.
“This ruling is beyond disappointing and a heartbreaking development for thousands of transgender youth, their doctors, and their families. As we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all the transgender youth of Indiana to know this fight is far from over and we will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated and Indiana is made a safer place to raise every family,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana wrote Tuesday in a press release.
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The three-judge panel that issued the order on Tuesday consists of two justices appointed by Republican presidents and one appointed by a Democrat.
Ronald Reagan appointed Kenneth F. Ripple, Donald Trump appointed Michael B. Brennan, and Joe Biden appointed Candace Jackson-Akiwumi.
“Our commonsense state law, banning dangerous and irreversible gender-transition procedures for minors, is now enforceable following the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeal’s newest order. We are proud to win this fight against the radicals who continue pushing this horrific practice on our children for ideological and financial reasons,” Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, said Tuesday in a statement.
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