Federal Judge Blocks Iowa Law restricting Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
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A federal judge temporarily blocked a new Iowa law on Wednesday,January 17,2024,that would have banned gender-affirming care for transgender minors. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Heckman issued a preliminary injunction, preventing the state from enforcing the law while a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality proceeds. The law, signed by Governor Kim Reynolds on March 22, 2023, prohibited doctors from providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries to transgender youth.
Background of the Law and Legal challenge
Iowa’s law, Senate File 548, was enacted amidst a wave of similar legislation introduced in Republican-lead states across the country. Supporters of the law argued it was necessary to protect children from making irreversible decisions. Opponents, including civil rights groups and families of transgender youth, contend the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and interferes with parents’ rights to make medical decisions for their children.
The lawsuit was filed by parents of transgender children and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa. They argued the law causes significant harm to transgender youth by denying them medically necessary care. According to the ACLU of Iowa, the law would negatively impact the mental and physical health of transgender youth in the state.
Judge Heckman’s Ruling
In her 64-page ruling, Judge Heckman found that the plaintiffs where likely to succeed on their claim that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause. She wrote that the law “infringes upon the basic rights of transgender minors and their parents.” The judge also noted the potential for irreparable harm to the plaintiffs if the law were allowed to remain in effect.
“The court finds that the plaintiffs have demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their equal protection claim,” Judge Heckman stated in her ruling.
Impact and Future Outlook
The preliminary injunction means that doctors in Iowa can continue to provide gender-affirming care to transgender minors while the lawsuit is pending. The state of Iowa has indicated it will appeal the ruling. The case is Burns v. Reynolds, case number 4:23-cv-00084, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
similar laws in other states, such as arkansas and Alabama, have also faced legal challenges. On august 18, 2023, a federal judge blocked Arkansas’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, citing similar constitutional concerns. The legal battles over these laws are expected to continue, potentially reaching the Supreme Court.
Governor Reynolds released a statement following the ruling, stating she was “disappointed” and that the state would “continue to fight to protect Iowa’s children.”
