UNITED STATES NEWS

Transgender children, families sue Tennessee over care ban

Apr 20, 2023, 12:57 PM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Three transgender children and their parents sued Tennessee on Thursday over a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors.

The law, scheduled to go into effect on July 1, prohibits health care providers from providing hormone treatments or surgeries for transgender youth where the purpose is to allow the child to express a gender identity “inconsistent with the immutable characteristics of the reproductive system that define the minor as male or female.”

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and other groups in federal court in Nashville. It claims the Tennessee law violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause because it allows the banned medical treatments when they are used to treat conditions other than gender dysphoria. It claims the ban is based on “generalized fears, negative attitudes, stereotypes, and moral disapproval of transgender people,” rather than the well-being of the state’s adolescents and children.

“All of the treatments prohibited by the Health Care Ban are permitted when undertaken for any reason other than to affirm a gender identity that differs from a patient’s sex designated at birth,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit also claims the ban violates parental autonomy protected under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.

One of the plaintiffs is a 15-year-old transgender girl who sued under the initials L.W. Growing up, L.W. had constant anxiety about her gender, the lawsuit states. Her discomfort with using the boys’ restroom at school was so great that she would avoid it altogether and develop urinary tract infections.

After she told her parents that she was transgender, L.W. began taking hormone blockers and later estrogen. Her parents say they have noticed a huge change in L.W., who is now “outgoing and thriving,” according to the lawsuit. The parents say the new law will force them to either leave Tennessee entirely or makes costly trips out of state for L.W.’s medical care.

The law includes a nine-month phase out period for medical treatments begun before it goes into effect, but no new treatments could be started during that time and all treatment must be completed by Mach 31, 2024. Health care providers who violate the ban would be subject to regulatory discipline and could be sued by the attorney general or private parties. Violations carry a $25,000 penalty.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office did not immediately return a message requesting comment on Thursday.

At least 12 other states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of the laws in Alabama and Arkansas.

United States News

Associated Press

Firefighter’s 3-year-old son struck and killed as memorial walk for slain firefighters was to begin

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The 3-year-old son of a firefighter was struck and killed in Delaware over the weekend shortly before a memorial walk was to begin to honor three firefighters killed in an a blaze seven years ago, authorities said. The Wilmington fire chief’s office said a group of off-duty Wilmington firefighters, family members […]

19 minutes ago

Associated Press

Editorial Roundup: United States

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: Sept. 23 The Washington Post on the U.S. feeding children in 2023 The children’s names rarely make the news. They are the millions of kids in Somalia, Libya, Mali, Haiti, Afghanistan, Yemen and other poor nations who don’t have enough to eat. They were born […]

20 minutes ago

Associated Press

US military captures key Islamic State militant during helicopter raid in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday it had captured an operator for the Islamic State extremist group during a helicopter raid in northern Syria. The operator, Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, “was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. His capture on Saturday increases […]

34 minutes ago

Associated Press

Manslaughter charges thrown out in Michigan prisoner’s death

MUNISING, Mich. (AP) — A judge dismissed charges Monday against six people in the death of a Michigan prisoner who lost 50 pounds over two weeks and died of dehydration while being restrained in 2019. There was evidence of a lack of proper care for Jonathan Lancaster but not enough to send two former prison […]

54 minutes ago

Associated Press

Michigan woman will serve up to 5 years in prison for crash into icy pond that killed her 3 sons

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A western Michigan woman was sentenced to up to five years in prison Monday for a crash in which her three young sons drowned after her SUV plunged into an ice-covered pond. Leticia Gonzales had pleaded no contest in August to operating while intoxicated causing serious injury and three misdemeanor […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

8 injured when JetBlue flight from Ecuador hits severe turbulence as it approaches Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A JetBlue flight from Ecuador to Fort Lauderdale hit extreme turbulence while approaching the Florida airport Monday, injuring seven passengers and a crew member, the airline said in a statement. JetBlue flight 1256 had traveled from Guayaquil, Ecuador, and was headed to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for a landing shortly […]

3 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Mayo Clinic

Game on! Expert sports physicals focused on you

With tryouts quickly approaching, now is the time for parents to schedule physicals for their student-athlete. The Arizona Interscholastic Association requires that all student-athletes must have a physical exam completed before participating in team practices or competition.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

Transgender children, families sue Tennessee over care ban