Oklahoma Judge Upholds Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Minors

A federal judge in Oklahoma has denied a request to temporarily block a state law banning gender transition care for minors under 18. The law, which also criminalizes medical professionals providing such care, has now gone into effect. The law prohibits all forms of gender transition medical treatment, including surgery, hormone therapy, and puberty blockers, and imposes strict penalties on medical providers. Transgender minors already receiving such care must gradually discontinue their treatments. The ruling ends an agreement between the state attorney general and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, allowing the law's restrictions to be enforced. The lawsuit challenging the ban's constitutionality will continue to progress through the legal system, with the ACLU planning to appeal the ruling.