Texas Supreme Court allows law banning gender-affirming treatments for children to take effect

This Friday, Texas will become the most populous state in the country to restrict transgender treatments for minors. This after the Texas Supreme Court lifted the injunction, thus allowing the law to go into effect.

Last week, a lower court ruled against Texas' ban on surgical and hormonal procedures on minors. A state district judge issued a temporary injunction to block the legislation on the grounds that it violated the rights of children and their families seeking proper medical care for these treatments.

However, after state officials appealed, the Texan High Court unblocked the previous order to allow the law to go into effect on Friday.

Although a full hearing on the case is still pending, with the Supreme Court's decision, Texas will be able to block transgender children from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers and transition surgeries.

"Texas kids are safer today because of the Supreme Court ruling. Protecting children from harmful and dangerous gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers is in the best interests of the child and something we all agree on," said Jonathan Covey, policy director at the conservative group Texas Values.

With Texas' decision, more than two dozen states have adopted child protection laws with similar restrictions. However, in some states, the laws have not yet taken effect or have been suspended by the courts.