Judge upholds Ohio’s gender-affirming care ban; civil rights group vows immediate appeal

An Ohio law that limits gender-affirming health care for youth under 18 can go into effect, a county judge ruled Tuesday.

An Ohio law that limits gender-affirming health care for youth under 18 can go into effect, a county judge ruled Tuesday. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said it will file an immediate appeal. The law bans transgender surgeries and hormone therapies for minors unless they are already receiving such therapies and it is deemed a risk to stop by a doctor. The law also includes restrictions on the type of mental health services a minor can receive. State lawmakers in January enacted the law, which also bans transgender athletes from taking part in girls’ and women’s sports, after overriding a veto by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. In upholding the law, Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook wrote that the ban “reasonably limits parents’ rights to make decisions about their children’s medical care consistent with the state’s deeply rooted legitimate interest in the regulation of medical profession and medical treatments.” The groups that challenged the law said it denies transgender youth health care and specifically discriminates against their accessing it. The lawsuit also argued that the combination of the two bans violates Ohio’s single-subject rule for bills.