In a recent decision, a U.S. judge has permitted the state of Georgia to reinstate a new Republican-backed prohibition on hormone replacement therapy for transgender individuals under the age of 18. This ruling followed a federal appeals court’s decision to reinstate a similar law in Alabama.
U.S. District Judge Sarah Geraghty in Atlanta had previously blocked the enforcement of Georgia’s law, stating that it likely violated the U.S. Constitution’s principles of equal protection under the law. However, shortly after Geraghty’s ruling, a three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s decision to block a comparable Alabama law, which prohibited the use of puberty-blocking drugs and hormones to treat gender dysphoria in transgender minors.
Notably, the appeals court panel consisted entirely of judges appointed by Republican presidents. Given this development, Georgia’s Republican Attorney General, Chris Carr, urged Geraghty to lift her injunction. However, Judge Geraghty, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, decided to put it on hold instead. She noted that her decision “rests on legal grounds that have been squarely rejected by the panel” in the Alabama case. Nonetheless, further appeals in that matter are ongoing.
Kara Richardson, spokesperson for Attorney General Carr, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, emphasizing their commitment to safeguarding the well-being of Georgia’s children. However, the lawyers representing the plaintiffs did not provide any comments.
Numerous Republican-led states have enacted laws that restrict medical treatments for transgender minors, although many of these laws have faced legal challenges. Courts have frequently ruled that such legislation discriminates based on sex and infringes upon parents’ rights to make decisions regarding their children’s medical treatment.
In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp, also a Republican, signed a law in March that prohibited specific medical procedures and therapies for minors experiencing gender dysphoria. This term refers to the psychological distress that some individuals undergo due to a misalignment between their biological sex and gender identity. The law also prevents minors from undergoing gender-affirming surgeries, although this aspect was not the subject of the case before Judge Geraghty.
