A federal judge in Tennessee has put a partial block on a law intended to shield children from life-altering transgender procedures, following other federal judges who blocked similar protective laws in other states.
U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson placed a temporary injunction against the ban on giving children cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, which have been shown to have life-altering impacts on children. Richardson did not block the provision of Tennessee’s law banning double mastectomies on girls identifying as boys or other genital procedures.
“If Tennessee wishes to regulate access to certain medical procedures, it must do so in a manner that does not infringe on the rights conferred by the United States Constitution, which is of course supreme to all other laws of the land. With regard to SB1, Tennessee has likely failed to do just this,” Richardson wrote in his ruling.
Richardson’s ruling just places temporarily blocks the law, which was set to go into effect on July 1, but will now be held while a suit against the law is adjudicated. The judge’s ruling was widely condemned by Republicans in the state, who promised to continue the fight.
“It is a sad day in Tennessee when, in place of protecting innocent children, our courts normalize a dangerous ideology that promotes the abuse and chemical castration of healthy young people. I am grateful for the wisdom of the General Assembly in recognizing and passing legislation that, despite today’s disappointing ruling, will protect children from gender-mutilating surgeries beginning July 1st. Tennessee Republicans will vigorously fight this decision to the highest court in the nation,” said House Majority Leader William Lamberth, the author of the law.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, who sponsored the bill in the state Senate, thanked Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti for his “commitment” to appeal the decision.
“I have complete faith that the legislation we passed is constitutional,” Johnson said. “This is a critical part of our efforts to protect Tennessee children, and we are going to continue to fight to protect these kids from permanent, irreversible mutilation of their bodies.”
Tennessee’s law was passed after an investigation from Daily Wire host Matt Walsh revealed that transgender procedures were being performed on children at Vanderbilt’s Pediatric Transgender Clinic.
“It’s not a surprise that an activist judge has once again stepped in to defend child butchery. We expected this would happen. This fight will end up in the Supreme Court. I’m confident we’ll win there,” Walsh said on Twitter.
In response to Walsh’s tweet, Lamberth said he wished Richardson would watch Walsh’s groundbreaking documentary, “What is a Woman?” or speak with Chloe Cole, a young woman who “transitioned” but now has detransitioned and speaks out against the harmful impact of transgender procedures.
“I wish this judge would spend just 10 minutes with brave young people like [Chloe Cole] or watch #WhatIsAWoman No way this decision on medication assisted abuse is handed down after that. Look at the facts. It isn’t gender affirming care, it is gender destroying care. Thank you @MattWalshBlog for your fierce advocacy on this important issue.”
A federal judge in Kentucky also blocked a ban on giving children cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers on Wednesday, joining other judges in Florida, Indiana, and Arkansas who have made similar rulings.
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