Federal appeals court hears arguments on nation’s first ban on gender-affirming care for minors

By ANDREW DeMILLO and JIM SALTER
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal appeals court is considering whether to reinstate Arkansas’ first-in the-nation ban on gender affirming care for minors after hearing arguments. Ten judges with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis heard arguments Thursday in the state’s appeal of a judge’s ruling that overturned the law. The 2021 law would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18. Arguments focused on whether the ban discriminates on the basis of sex. At least 24 states have adopted such restrictions, and most face lawsuits. Arkansas asked the full court rather than a three-judge panel to take up its appeal.