DOJ to states: Bans on transgender youth health care are unconstitutional
By Sarah Polus - 06/17/21 07:05 PM EDT
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday filed court documents saying recently passed laws in Arkansas and West Virginia restricting transgender rights are unconstitutional.
The legal briefs, shared on Twitter by The Huffington Post, argue that the state laws violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
https://twitter.com/ryanjreilly/status/1405597224231477250The DOJ called the Arkansas law "dangerous governmental intrusion." One of the provisions in the state law prevents doctors from performing gender reassignment surgeries.
"Rather than rely on the judgment of medical professionals and evidence-based treatment guidelines, Arkansas has inserted itself within one of the most confidential and personal of relationships: the physician-patient relationship," the DOJ wrote.
The DOJ went on to say that under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, individuals have the right to nondiscriminatory access to health care.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/559093-doj-warns-states-that-ban-on-transgender-youth-health-care-is
