INDIANAPOLIS – A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking a ban on gender-affirming care for Hoosier youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Without action, the law would have taken effect on July 1.
The late Friday ruling bars the state from enforcing a prohibition on medical interventions used in transgender health care, such as puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapies. However, U.S. District Court Judge James Hanlon upheld the ban on surgical procedures, which previous Statehouse testimony and court filings indicated weren’t occurring on minors in Indiana.
Hanlon, who serves in the Southern District, was nominated by former President Donald Trump.
The injunction applies to all Hoosier children, not just the four transgender youths involved in the lawsuit. More than 900 youth have sought gender-affirming services at the Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, many of whom received puberty blockers or hormonal therapies.
“Today’s victory is a testament to the trans youth of Indiana, their families, and their allies, who never gave up the fight to protect access to gender-affirming care and who will continue to defend the right of all trans people to be their authentic selves, free from discrimination,” said Ken Falk, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana. Falk, who represented the transgender youth, added, “We won’t rest until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good.”
A request for comment from Attorney General Todd Rokita was not immediately returned.
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