Families Sue Alabama Over Transgender Medical Ban

Two transgender children, their parents, and two doctors have sued Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey to stop the state's transgender medical ban from going into effect. Assistance in the case is being provided by the Southern Poverty Law Center, GLAD, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The plaintiffs argue that the transgender medical ban violates trans people's rights under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which bans discrimination in health care. The parents of trans kids allege that the law violates their constitutional Due Process rights, which they argue include the right to direct their children's medical care without government interference. We've witnessed our daughter change from being withdrawn and anxious to being an engaged, happy child once we got her the support and care she needs," said plaintiff Robert Roe, the father of Mary Roe, a 13-year-old trans girl. But if this law goes into effect, we may be forced to leave the state we call home to protect our daughter's life." The pending lawsuit states that Mary's parents tried to raise her as a boy, even though she told them she was a girl. "When she was around six years old," the lawsuit states, "Mary became reclusive and was very often unhappy, including frequent emotional outbursts where Mary would slam her head into the wall." The case notes that her parents are following the advice of her medical team at the University of Alabama – Birmingham and that affirming Mary's gender is in line with the standard of care. Measures are in line with those recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, the American Psychiatric Association, and other professional medical governing bodies. If the trans medical ban goes into effect, the doctors who provide her care could get sent to prison for up to 10 years. "By signing SB 184, Governor Ivey has told kind, loving, and loyal Alabama families that they cannot stay here without denying their children the basic medical care they need," said Dr. Ladinsky. "She has undermined the health and well-being of Alabama children and put doctors like me in the horrifying position of choosing between ignoring the medical needs of our patients or risking being sent to prison."