Youth transgender treatment ban in Alabama now in effect

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - It’s now illegal in Alabama to administer or prescribe gender-affirming medications to transgender children. The law went into effect Sunday because a federal judge hasn’t yet ruled after a hearing last week to challenge the state from enforcing the law.

Federal Judge Liles Burke told attorneys Friday he would work as fast as possible to act on that request to block the new transgender medicine law.

The state argues the law is important to protect children who they say are too young to make these decisions. Meanwhile, advocates say the law discriminates against minors by denying them access to medically necessary care.

Former Federal judge John Carroll and Samford University law professor says the judge will need to weigh all the opinions and possibly one out of the 11th circuit in 2014 that talks about gender identity disorder dealing with an adult.

“It orders the state of Georgia to give him hormone treatment and it talks about that this is a recognized disorder and that sort of thing. So, if you’re the state of Alabama, you’re going to distinguish that. It’s distinguishable on the facts but that’s an issue,” Carrol said.

Carroll says that opinion may also be talked about with the Department of Justice lawsuit that’s also challenging the state’s transgender medicine law.

Once we get a ruling from last week’s hearing, we’ll pass it along.

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