A ruling from the state Supreme Court in Texas has affirmed a ban on some health "treatments" for minor children.
LGBT activists had sued the state over the law, contending they had the right to impose chemical regimens, even surgical mutilations, on children.
But a majority of the justices said they believe Senate Bill 14 does not violate the Texas Constitution and that the plaintiffs failed to meet "a probable right to relief on their claims" of legislative overreach.
In fact, the opinion said lawmakers were within their right to regulate the medical field.
"We conclude the Legislature made a permissible, rational policy choice to limit the types of available medical procedures for children, particularly in light of the relative nascency of both gender dysphoria and its various modes of treatment and the Legislature’s express constitutional authority to regulate the practice of medicine. We therefore conclude the statute does not unconstitutionally deprive parents of their rights or physicians or health care providers of an alleged property right in their medical licenses or claimed right to occupational freedom," said the opinion.
"We also conclude the law does not unconstitutionally deny or abridge equality under the law because of sex or any other characteristic asserted by plaintiffs."
Today, the Texas Supreme Court upheld SB 14, a law protecting children from dangerous gender confusion procedures by prohibiting puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and mutilative surgeries on minors. We will always defend children in Texas from these irreversible procedures.…
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) June 28, 2024
ADF lawyer Natalie Thompson noted, "Texas rightly enacted the Minors Protection Act to protect the health and welfare of all children—supporting their natural biological development and ensuring that children experiencing gender dysphoria have a chance for comprehensive healing and compassionate mental health support. Respected authorities continue to find that the overwhelming majority of children will naturally resolve their dysphoria as they mature. And no reliable scientific evidence demonstrates that these dangerous medical procedures improve mental health. That’s why countries like Sweden, England, and Finland—which once recommended these procedures for children—are now restricting them and protecting children from the devastating effects they have had on countless lives."
The case was brought after lawmakers adopted SB 14 and Gov. Gregg Abbott signed it.
It bars young people with "gender dysphoria" from being given puberty-blocking chemicals, hormone therapies or body-altering surgeries.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said, "My office will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that doctors and medical institutions follow the law."
The court's decision was 8-1.
Texas Values, a policy group that promoted the law, said, "No child deserves a false sense of hope from the unscientific idea that they are not really the sex they are born. Today, the Texas Supreme Court agrees! This decision affirms what we already know, that doctors cannot mutilate children in the name of healthcare."
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