Judge strikes down Arkansas law protecting children from transgender interventions

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States across the country have passed bills to protect children from transgender procedures. Associated Press/Photo by Rogelio V. Solis

Judge strikes down Arkansas law protecting children from transgender interventions

U.S. District Judge Jay Moody on Tuesday ruled that the law violated the constitutional rights to free speech and equal protection of Arkansas children and their families. State lawmakers approved the law, called the Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act or SAFE Act, in 2021. It was the first law of its kind in the country. The law would have protected children in the state from being prescribed puberty blockers or transgender surgery. At least 19 states have since adopted similar laws. Attorney General Tim Griffin said Tuesday he would appeal the ruling.

What other protections are still in effect? Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in March signed a bill that would make it easier for state residents to sue providers who perform transgender interventions on minors. Anyone who received transgender interventions as a minor would have up to 15 years after they turned 18 to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against their doctor. The new law takes effect this summer.

Dig deeper: Read my report in Relations about other states that are enacting laws to protect children from the transgender wave.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.