A local civil rights group said a federal judge ruling against Florida’s ban on transgender health care for minors affirms their position that the laws are unconstitutional.
A federal judge in the 8th circuit court—the jurisdiction South Dakota falls under—has also blocked Arkansas’s ban on certain forms of health care for transgender minors.
Samantha Chapman, a lawyer with the ACLU of South Dakota, said the rulings show justifications for the laws are "flimsy, at best."
“The decision just reinforces what we’ve been saying, that transgender youth have a right to access medical care and laws like this are just purely discriminatory in nature and have no legal standing," Chapman said.
Laws banning health care for transgender minors became a flashpoint in state legislatures across the country.
Chapman said the efforts look similar the push to overturn Roe V. Wade, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion.
Last session, state lawmakers fast-tracked a bill to ban several forms of care for transgender minors to prevent adolescents from making what proponents called ‘rapid decisions.’
The bill prohibits several forms of physical surgery local health care officials say are not performed in the state. It also blocks access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy, which the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Association endorse.
One of the sponsors of South Dakota’s bill is Republican Rep. Fred Deutsch. While he says he’s not an expert on the federal courts, Deutsch says he’s not worried about the ruling.
“I don’t know if the Florida judge’s decision will have an impact on South Dakota," Deutsch said. "What I understand is the decision will be quickly appealed and likely to be overturned.”
South Dakota’s ban on health care for transgender minors goes into effect on July 1.
Chapman said the ACLU is exploring all options while waiting on a decision from the 8th circuit on Arkansas’s law.
