A federal judge has temporarily blocked Tennessee’s law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The law, which was set to take effect this weekend, would’ve banned transgender youth from accessing puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy.
In Judge Eli Richardson’s 69-page ruling, he writes that criminalizing gender-affirming care for trans kids, but not for cisgender or intersex kids, “imposes disparate treatment on the basis of sex.”
The state argued that gender-affirming treatment does not improve mental health, but the judge’s ruling refutes this argument. Richardson writes that the defendant’s position relies solely on the testimony of a doctor “who seems never to have treated an individual for gender dysphoria.”
“But the weight of evidence in the record suggests the contrary — that treatment for gender dysphoria lowers rates of depression, suicide, and additional mental health issues faced by transgender individuals,” Richardson writes.
Plaintiff Samantha Williams agrees. She tells WPLN News that her daughter was withdrawn before she started puberty blockers.
“The longer we’ve been on this journey, the more comfortable she’s become,” Williams says. “When the fear of male puberty was taken away, that was a huge relief. I think that has been the most significant factor in her mental health right now is the fact that she is not dreading going through male puberty.”
Despite the ruling, trans kids may still not be able to access that care. The Tennessee Attorney General issued an emergency appeal late Wednesday night, hours after the ruling was released.
When asked whether Vanderbilt University Medical Center would resume gender-affirming care for minors, a spokesperson tells WPLN News, “This is still a matter in the courts.”
The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office says it’s appealing the court’s decision.
This story was updated Thursday to include comment from the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
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