A federal judge has permanently blocked Arkansas’ law banning gender-affirming care for minors, marking a victory for LGBTQ advocates.
The ruling: U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. ruled that the ban violated several sections of the U.S. Constitution and would cause trans minors irreparable harm by withholding treatments such as hormone therapy.
* Judge Moody had previously blocked the law days before it was set to take effect in 2021.
Constitutional claims: Moody ruled that Act 626 violated the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
* The American Civil Liberties Union brought the suit on behalf of families of transgender teens and two physicians.
Background: Arkansas became the first state to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors when lawmakers passed Act 626 in 2021, with similar laws in Alabama, Florida, and Indiana temporarily on hold.
* The passage of Act 626 faced controversy, being vetoed by then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson but overridden by a simple majority vote in the House and Senate.
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