Idaho’s Appeal to the Supreme Court to Allow the Enforcement of its Ban on Transgender Procedures for Minors

Idaho, a state in the United States, has taken a bold step towards protecting the well-being of its minors by filing an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the enforcement of its ban on transgender procedures and medical interventions for minors. The ban, known as the Vulnerable Child Protection Act, was signed into law by Idaho Governor Brad Little last year and has been the subject of intense legal battles ever since.

The Idaho Attorney General, Raúl Labrador, along with attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom and Cooper & Kirk, filed the motion on Friday, February 20, 2024, asking the Supreme Court to narrow a lower court’s order that currently prohibits the state from enforcing its entire law state-wide. The attorneys argued that the injunction covers 2 million minors, while the lawsuit only challenges certain parts of the law on behalf of two transgender teens and their families.

The Vulnerable Child Protection Act makes it a felony punishable by up to a decade in prison and $5,000 in fines for doctors and other healthcare providers to administer treatments including puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries to young people. The law aims to protect children from dangerous and often irreversible drugs and procedures that block natural development and remove healthy body parts.

However, the lawsuit by the transgender teens and their families argues that the legislation violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection and overrides medical decisions made by parents in consultation with their children’s doctors. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been involved in the case and has labeled the law discriminatory and a violation of necessary healthcare for Idaho youth.

Despite the legal challenges, Idaho has appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court and, when denied, has now turned to the Supreme Court. In the motion for a stay, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office argues that the district court’s sweeping injunction “hamstrings Idaho’s ability to protect its citizens from well-recognized harms.” The motion also notes that every day the law remains enjoined exposes vulnerable children to risky and dangerous medical procedures and infringes on Idaho’s sovereign power to enforce its democratically enacted law.

The consequences of these procedures have lifelong, irreversible consequences, with more and more minors expressing regret for taking this path. The Plaintiffs, who only want access to a single procedure, are two minors and their parents, while the injunction covers 2 million minors in Idaho.

The Idaho Attorney General, Raúl Labrador, has stated that he is proud to defend Idaho’s law, which ensures children are not subjected to these life-altering drugs and procedures. He believes that children deserve love, support, and medical care rooted in biological reality and that denying the basic truth that boys and girls are biologically different hurts our kids.

The Supreme Court now has the opportunity to review the case and make a decision that could have significant implications for the protection of minors across the United States. The court’s ruling could either uphold the lower court’s injunction or allow Idaho to enforce its law, ensuring the well-being of its minors.

In conclusion, Idaho’s appeal to the Supreme Court to allow the enforcement of its ban on transgender procedures for minors is a crucial step towards protecting the well-being of its youth. The case raises important questions about the role of the government in protecting children from harmful medical procedures and the balance between individual freedoms and the state’s responsibility to ensure the safety and health of its citizens. The Supreme Court’s decision could set a precedent for other states and provide clarity on the issue of transgender medical interventions for minors.