'Unconstitutional' Indiana anti-trans law temporarily blocked by Trump judge: report

17 June 2023

An Indiana judge has blocked anti-transgender legislation from moving forward, for now, CNN reports.

Former President Donald Trump appointed United States District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon in 2018, according to CNN, and he "issued a preliminary injunction Friday that blocks the state Republican-backed ban on "gender-affirming care for minors "such as puberty blocking medication, hormone therapy and surgery intended to help transition genders."

State Republican lawmakers passed the anti-trans law earlier this year, expecting it to go into effect on July 1.

Per the report, Hanlon's "decision comes after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued to stop the law from going into effect on behalf of four transgender youth and their families, a physician and a health care clinic, shortly after Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the measure in early April."

The Trump-appointed judge wrote in his opinion, "Because Plaintiffs have some likelihood of success on the merits of constitutional claims, a preliminary injunction is in the public interest. While the State has a strong interest in enforcing democratically enacted laws, that interest decreases as Plaintiffs’ likelihood of success on the merits of their constitutional claims increases."

Hanlon emphasized, "And for the reasons above, Plaintiffs risk suffering irreparable harm absent an injunction."

Kevin Falk, the legal director for ACLU Indiana, said in a statement, "Today's victory is a testament to the trans youth of Indiana, their families, and their allies, who never gave up the fight to protect access to gender- affirming care and who will continue to defend the right of all trans people to be their authentic selves, free from discrimination. "We won't rest until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good."

CNN's full report is available at this link.

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