An Ohio judge has ruled to uphold the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors.
This ban prohibits puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and surgery for trans people under the age of 18 in the state of Ohio. It is worth noting that these surgeries are extremely uncommon and are done on cisgender people too, not just trans people.
The law, House Bill 68, was nearly passed by the state legislature in December 2023 but was vetoed by the state governor, Mike DeWine. DeWine thought parents should be in control of their children’s medical decisions. However, in January 2024, lawmakers were able to overturn DeWine’s veto.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the law in March, arguing the law infringes on Ohio’s constitution. According to the ACLU, the bill violates procedural conditions and civil rights. The ACLU represented families with trans children who strongly believed in their children’s right to seek gender-affirming care.
The court decided to temporarily block the bill in April following the ACLU’s suit, but this didn’t last long, as Judge Michael Holbrook of Franklin County ruled that House Bill 68 does not infringe on the Constitution. Holbrook claims the law “reasonably limits parents’ rights to make decisions about their children’s medical care.” Holbrook seems to believe that the state is not removing anything unreasonable and that banned treatments contain “undeniable risk and permanent outcomes.”
Ohio Attorney General and Republican David Yost believes this ban is in the best interest of the children who can still seek gender-affirming care once above the age of 18.
While the ban only affects people under 18, there are still benefits to seeking these treatments before reaching adulthood. These include improved mental health and the general well-being of LGBTQ+ youth. Refusing to treat trans youth denies them the right to physically look how they feel on the inside and can lead to a decline in children’s mental health. Without the ban, parents and doctors are free to assess what’s best for the individual patient’s health.
The ACLU of Ohio condemns this decision and plans to file an appeal in court.
Image Courtesy of Sipa USA Via AP
