Federal Court Rules Indiana Can Protect Children from Sex-Change Procedures

Transgender,

Last week the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling effectively letting the State of Indiana protect children from sex-change procedures.

Joshua Arnold with The Washington Stand reports,

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld an Indiana law protecting minors from gender transition procedures last Wednesday. The appellate court had stayed a preliminary injunction that blocked all of the law except its prohibition on gender transition surgeries in a simple order on February 27, allowing the law to take effect. Wednesday’s ruling (K.C. v. Medical Licensing Board of Indiana) included a 50-page opinion for why the court reversed the lower court ruling, vacated the preliminary injunction, and remanded the lawsuit back to the district court.

In response to the ruling, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Litigation Strategy and Center for Conscience Initiatives Jonathan Scruggs said,

“Indiana rightly enacted a law that protects the health and welfare of all children—supporting their natural biological development and ensuring that children experiencing gender dysphoria have a chance for comprehensive healing and compassionate mental health support. Relying on bad science, activists and the Biden-Harris administration have pushed these harmful procedures across the country and even taken steps to prevent state legislatures from regulating these procedures. These procedures have devastated countless lives, which is why countries that were previously leaders in so-called ‘gender affirming’ care are reversing course and curtailing these experimental efforts to alter children’s bodies. The 7th Circuit was on solid ground to uphold Indiana’s law that allows children to receive the help they need—safely.”

ADF filed a friend-of-the-court brief last year asking the court to let Indiana’s law to go into effect.

This is a significant victory.

Sex-change surgeries and similar procedures can leave children sterilized and scarred for life.

Doctors do not know the long term effects that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones might have on people, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was prompted to add a warning label to puberty blockers after discovering they caused some biological girls to experience brain swelling.

Three years ago a major hospital in Sweden announced that it would no longer give puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to kids. This year the United Kingdom announced a new policy protecting children from puberty-blocking drugs.

In 2021 the Arkansas Legislature overwhelmingly passed the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act — a law very similar to Indiana’s. The SAFE Act is a good law that protects children in Arkansas from cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, and sex-reassignment surgeries.

Unfortunately, the SAFE Act has been blocked in court since 2021.

It’s good to see federal courts let Indiana protect children. We believe our federal courts ultimately will recognize that Arkansas’ SAFE act is a good law and uphold it as constitutional.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Lawsuit Over “Male” and “Female” Designations on Driver’s Licenses Formally Dismissed

LGBT,

Last month the Arkansas Supreme Court formally dismissed a lawsuit over Arkansas’ decision to limit gender markers on driver’s licenses to “male” and “female.”

The decision came at a time when many voters and pundits were focused on the election, so many people may not be aware of it.

Last spring the ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Finance and Administration’s new rule that state-issued driver’s licenses and photo IDs list “male” or “female” as stated on the ID-holder’s birth certificate.

Arkansas’ new policy prevents ID-holders from changing the gender on their ID without documentation. It also eliminates the option of listing an “X” in place of “male” or “female.”

The ACLU argued the state made the change abruptly without following the normal rulemaking process. However, the Arkansas Supreme Court disagreed, and formally dismissed the lawsuit on October 16.

Arkansas law makes it possible to change a birth certificate — including the sex listed on a birth certificate, if the person’s name legally has been changed and the person has undergone a surgical sex-change procedure. Practically speaking, Arkansas’ driver’s license policy just ensures people follow the process outlined in state law if they want to change the gender listed on a driver’s license. There is nothing unreasonable about that.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Women’s Volleyball Coach Suspended After Filing Complaint Over Transgender Player

Transgender, ,

A women’s volleyball coach at San Jose State University (SJSU) reportedly has been suspended after filing a Title IX discrimination complaint regarding a transgender player.

The SJSU women’s volleyball team reportedly includes a male athlete who identifies as female. As a result, several other college volleyball teams have forfeited their matches against SJSU to protect their players and promote fairness in women’s sports.

Focus On The Family’s Daily Citizen reports SJSU coach Melissa Batie-Smoose recently filed a complaint alleging SJSU has shown the transgender player favoritism at the expense of the female athletes on the volleyball team and that the school has created a toxic environment for the other players.

San Jose State University reportedly suspended Coach Batie-Smoose the weekend after she filed the complaint.

We have written time and again about how women’s athletics is at risk of being erased in America.

For example, female cyclists, swimmers, powerlifters, sprinters, and others have seen their sports radically changed by men who identify and compete as women.

Letting men compete in women’s sports isn’t just unfair. In some cases, it can even be dangerous.

Fortunately, educators, policymakers, and athletic organizations are taking steps to protect women’s sports.

Last year the North American Grappling Association clarified its competition policy, saying biological males must compete against other men, regardless of their gender identity.

Earlier this year the professional golf league NXXT Golf announced that only biological females would be eligible to participate in the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour.

And the NAIA college athletics association has announced a policy that should prevent male athletes from competing in women’s sports.

Many states — including Arkansas — have enacted laws that preserve fairness in women’s sports.

In 2021 Arkansas passed Act 461 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R — Smackover) preventing male student athletes from competing against girls in women’s athletics at school. This good law protects fairness in women’s sports in Arkansas.

It’s worth point out that public opinion is shifting on this issue, with more Americans agreeing that athletes ought to compete according to their biological sex rather than their gender identity. 

Letting men compete in women’s sports reverses 50 years of advancements for women. Family Council applauds coaches like Melissa Batie-Smoose, policymakers, athletic associations, and others who are willing to stand up for fairness in women’s sports.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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