On Friday, Texas became the most populous state with a ban in effect against gender-affirming care for minors.
The law was allowed to kick in after a court ruling on Thursday, part of a flurry of action across the country on policies aimed at transgender people and their rights. A separate Texas ruling blocked a law that drag show performers feared would shut them down.
Here’s a look at the latest developments and what’s next.
TEXAS GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE BAN TAKES EFFECT
In its ruling Thursday, the Texas Supreme Court allowed a law banning gender-affirming care including puberty blockers, hormones and surgery for minors.
The ruling is not final, but allows enforcement of the law while courts determine whether it’s constitutional. The decision is also a reversal of a lower court from the week before, when a state judge had said the law should be put on hold while it’s sorted out.
Since 2021, 22 Republican-controlled states have passed laws restricting access to gender-affirming care for minors. At least 13 states, meanwhile, have adopted measures intended to protect access.
Indie Cisive performs during the Drag American Rejects Show, Oct. 6, 2022, at Shot Topic in Dallas. A federal judge on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, temporarily blocked a new Texas law that drag show artists fear will be used to shut them down or put them in jail. Credit: AP/Juan Figueroa
Several of the bans are so new that they haven’t taken effect yet. Missouri’s kicked in earlier this week. Enforcement of the laws in Arkansas, Georgia and Indiana are currently on hold.
There are legal challenges to the policies across the country, and there isn’t a clear pattern for how courts handle them. None have reached a final court decision.
COURTS IN THREE STATES HOLD HEARINGS ON CARE RESTRICTIONS
Two court hearings on the matter Friday did not immediately change the status quo in three states but showed how thorny the legal issues can be.
Demonstrators gather on the steps to the Texas Capitol to speak against…
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