
By Casey Smith
Indiana Capital
A delayed legal fight over Indiana’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors can now move forward following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that upheld a similar law in Tennessee.
The high court’s 6-3 decision did not directly address Indiana’s law but affirmed that states can enforce bans on puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries for transgender youth. It agreed with an appellate court decision to reverse an injunction blocking the Tennessee law.
“This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound.”
But he said “our role is not ‘to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic’ of the law before us, but only to ensure that it does not violate the equal protection guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment.Having concluded it does not, we leave questions regarding its policy to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process.”
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita celebrated the ruling Wednesday morning, posting on X: “VICTORY! … This is a massive win for Hoosiers, protecting our kids from irreversible harm.”
Rokita’s office co-led an amicus brief in support of Tennessee’s law.
Indiana lawmakers passed a similar ban in 2023, but a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of the law before it could take effect. That included halting enforcement of restrictions on hormone therapy and puberty blockers, though a ban on gender-affirming surgeries for minors remained untouched, given that such surgeries are rarely, if ever, performed on Hoosier youth.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit later allowed the full Indiana law to take effect, staying the lower court’s injunction. That decision meant transgender minors were no longer able to start new hormone treatments or receive puberty blockers after July 1, 2023.
The ongoing lawsuit over Indiana’s ban was paused while the U.S. Supreme Court weighed the Tennessee case. With Wednesday’s ruling, litigation in Indiana can resume — but under traditional judicial scrutiny, rather than the heightened review.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana, which represents the plaintiffs in case against Indiana’s law, did not immediately comment on the Supreme Court’s decision.
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