New Texas Law Being Challenged
Texas is being challenged because of a new law in place. This law prohibits the care for transgender children. Meaning they can not get any puberty blockers or any hormone therapies. After Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the law prohibiting transgender youth to receive hormonal care, some families and doctors sued.
The lawsuit was to block this law from going into effect. Their argument was that this law would violate their parental rights. This is because this law stops parents from giving their children healthcare they need. It is also very discriminatory against transgender people.
Travis County had tried to block this law for going into effect for awhile, arguing the same thing the lawsuit claimed. However, this was soon after appealed and led the Texas Supreme Court to make the law official in September. Last year another bill was passed; the Senate Bill 14.
This bill prohibits doctors and other medical personnel to administer the puberty blockers and hormone therapy to people. If this law is broken, any medical personnel involved will have their license revoked. Many people have tried to get this law to be banned however they have been unsuccessful. Many doctors as well have stated that this law is going to cause serious damage to the transgender community. Not receiving their care can lead to depression and possibly suicide as well.
State of Texas is Not Budging to People’s Request
Additionally, Texas is now one of the twenty three states in the United States that has restricted transgender care for people under eighteen. Natalie Thompson, a representative of the state, said that Texas has the right to choose which medicine can be administered to its residents.
Including transgender care towards minors. She mentions that the Texas Constitution as nothing about protecting transgender youth. She also states that doctors do not have a constitutional right to give these treatments to children.
“The statute is narrowly tailored to protecting children from interventions that interfere with their growth and development and have irreversible physical effects, all without proven mental health benefit,” said Thompson.
A few justices asked her if this law will impede parental rights. To which she responded that it did not, since parents are still allowed to choose what medications to give to their children. “What Senate Bill 14 does is take certain medical treatments off the table entirely.
That’s not an interference with a parent’s right. It’s not a third party making the decision instead of the parent or the government making the decision instead of the parent.” said Thompson. Altogether, she continues to defend her claim by stating that if something is made unlawful, no one is allowed to do it. Basically, it does not matter if its for a child. “If an adult wouldn’t have that right to obtain a medical procedure because it’s made unlawful, then parents don’t get to veto those same laws on behalf of their children,” said Thompson.
People Will Not Give Up
Additionally, Attorney Kennon Wooten took the side of the family and doctors on this topic and tried to somehow change the Court’s mind. Afterwards, he proceeds to say that gender dysphoria is a very serious medical condition and leaving it untreated has serious risks.
“It’s a serious medical condition that’s marked by clinically significant distress and impairment in functioning, and that’s arising from a sustained incongruence between one’s birth sex and gender identity. If it’s left untreated, there are risks of depression, debilitating anxiety, self harm and in some cases suicidality.” Stated Wooten. Many residents continue to fight this law so that it is someday overturned.
Written by Erika P. Cano
Sources:
kxan: Texas Supreme Court hears challenge to transgender minor health care ban
Texas Tribune: Texas Supreme Court to hear legal challenge to ban on gender-transition care for kids
Upi: Texas Supreme Court to hear challenge to ban on care for transgender kids
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Ted Eytan Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
