The Supreme Court on Monday green-lighted Idaho’s recent policy to ban gender-affirming care among transgender youth while lawsuits are ongoing.
In a 6-3 vote, the court favored Republican Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, who appealed to the high court to allow this law to be enforced statewide.
This decision overturns the previous decision of the lower courts.
The SCOTUS’ verdict will allow the state to impose a 2023 law that will imprison any physician who will provide hormones, puberty blockers, or other gender-affirming care to minors for ten years.
Meanwhile, the two transgender teens who challenged the law are allowed to acquire care.
Enforcement of the law was put on pause in December after US District Court Judge Lynn issued an injunction while the two teen plaintiffs’ appeal is ongoing.
According to Justice Neal Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion, “Ordinarily, injunctions like these may go no further than necessary to provide interim relief to the parties. In this case, however, the district court went much further, prohibiting a state from enforcing any aspect of its duly enacted law against anyone.”
“Today, the court stays the district court’s injunction to the extent it applies to nonparties, which is to say to the extent it provides ‘universal’ relief. That is a welcome development,” he added.
Attorney General Labrador celebrated the SCOTUS’ decision. He wrote in a tweet: “The US Supreme Court just ruled to allow Idaho to enforce the Vulnerable Child Protection Act, a law that protects children from harmful and experimental drugs and procedures, while the case proceeds at the Ninth Circuit. This is a big win to protect vulnerable kids!”
The bill, dubbed HB 71, was authorized by Governor Brad Little last year, stating that “In signing this bill, I recognize our society plays a role in protecting minors from surgeries or treatments that can irreversibly damage their healthy bodies.”
Opponents of the law argue that legalizing this bill will increase suicide rates among teens, however, for its supporters, this is necessary to protect children from treatments for gender dysphoria.
Medical professionals explained that gender dysphoria is severe psychological distress undergone by those whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth.
About 23 states have imposed laws that prohibit gender-affirming care for transgender minors, and most of the states face opposition.
These states were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
I will be praying for the lost souls of LGBT cult to repent ,their sins to God. Repent to God and he out of your daily sin. Pastor Jonathan Edward Mann. Hallelujah..God is great.