Tennessee Court Upholds Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth

A U.S. appeals court has ruled that a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth in Tennessee can go into effect immediately, temporarily staying a lower court's ruling. This marks the first federal court ruling of its kind and diverges from recent patterns of federal courts blocking similar bans in other states. The decision prevents doctors in Tennessee from providing gender-affirming care to minors, including puberty blockers and gender-affirming surgery. The court plans to issue a full ruling by September 30 after hearing arguments for a full appeal of the ban. Advocacy groups challenging the ban have expressed disappointment and vowed to continue fighting against it.