Federal court upholds Oklahoma's ban on gender-affirming care for minors

A federal appeals court has upheld Oklahoma's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children.

The decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors is not unconstitutional. The high court decided that preventing minors from using puberty blockers and hormone therapy does not violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same.

Oklahoma's version of this law, Senate Bill 613, was upheld by a federal district court in Tulsa in October 2023. In that case, known as Poe v. Drummond, five Oklahoma trans children and their families contended that halting their gender-affirming care violated their constitutional rights. They were being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Oklahoma and Lambda Legal.

More: 'Like living in a war zone': Oklahoma's ban on gender-affirming care for minors mirrors Trump's promises

The lawsuit continued to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, where judges suspended the plaintiffs' appeal in 2024 while the Supreme Court considered the similar Tennessee case.

On Wednesday, Aug. 6, the Tenth Circuit found "no evidence exists" that the Oklahoma Legislature enacted SB 613 to discriminate against transgender minors. It also found "there is no deeply rooted tradition in parents' rights to a access gender transition procedures for their children."

In a joint statement, the organizations that filed the lawsuit described the ruling as a devastating outcome.

"Oklahoma's ban is openly discriminatory and provably harmful to the transgender youth of this state, putting political dogma above parents, their children, and their family doctors," said the organizations. "While we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all transgender people and their families across Oklahoma to know we will never stop fighting for the future they deserve and their freedom to be themselves.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Genter Drummond, a defendant in the case, praised the decision, saying he's "grateful the battle is now won."

"Thanks to this critical victory, our children will no longer be subjected to the lifelong consequences of these damaging procedures," he added.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Federal court upholds Oklahoma ban on gender-affirming care for minors