Earlier this month the Texas Supreme Court allowed a new law banning gender-transition treatment for minors to begin taking effect. A lower court had temporarily blocked the law, but that decision was appealed by the attorney general to the Texas Supreme Court. The move prevented the temporary injunction from taking effect. There are over 20 states with similar laws. 

The law bans doctors from prescribing hormones and puberty blockers to minors, as well as prevents them from performing gender-transition surgeries on minors. Legal challengers to the law include some transgender minors and their parents, as well as rights groups such as Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Texas.

“Transgender youth and their families are forced to confront the start of the school year fearful of what awaits them. But let us be clear: The fight is far from over,” opposition groups said in a joint statement.

They argue that the law violates the state constitution and denies parents the right to make decisions about their children’s medical care. Ironically, the argument used to give parents the right in their childrens’ medical care is the complete antithesis of many other liberal agendas such as education, abortion and vaccinations.

The plaintiffs also argue the measure discriminates against transgender people with gender dysphoria by denying them treatments that remain available to minors in Texas for the treatment of other issues.

Conservative group, Texas Values, celebrated the decision:

“Texas kids are safer today because of the Supreme Court ruling,” said Jonathan Covey, the group’s policy director. “Protecting children from harmful and dangerous gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers is in the best interests of the child and something we all agree on.”

National Review reports of the new law:

Doctors who violate the law can have their medical licenses revoked. The measure also prohibits health insurance plans from covering the gender-transition services. It will immediately prevent doctors from providing transition treatments to new patients and will require that existing patients are gradually taken off of the treatments they have been receiving.