Alabama Allowed to Enforce Law Criminalizing Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Minors

Federal Appeals Court Ruling Paves Way for Implementation of Controversial Law, Amid Ongoing Legal Challenges in Multiple States

Alabama can now enforce a law that criminalizes gender-affirming care for transgender minors, following a ruling by a federal appeals court.
The law makes it a felony to provide puberty blockers or hormones to help affirm a minor's gender identity, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison for doctors who violate it.
The decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allows the ban to take effect while the full court decides whether to revisit the issue.
Alabama is the second state to ban such treatment and the first to provide for criminal penalties.
At least 22 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, many of which face lawsuits or blocked enforcement.