A U.S. appeals court has reinstated a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth, temporarily staying a lower court's ruling. This decision marks the first federal court ruling of its kind. The ruling means that doctors in Tennessee are now prohibited from providing gender-affirming care, including hormone blockers and gender-affirming surgeries, to minors. Similar bans have been blocked in other states like Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky.

The 6th Circuit court plans to issue a full ruling by September 30 after hearing arguments for a full appeal of the ban. In a 2-1 ruling, the majority wrote that decisions on emerging policy issues like transgender care should be left to legislatures rather than judges. The court also set an accelerated schedule for briefing on the pending Kentucky case alongside Tennessee's.

Advocates for gender-affirming care condemned the ruling, calling it a heartbreaking development for transgender youth. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated that they will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated. The ACLU also noted that the 6th Circuit is the first federal circuit to allow a ban on transgender health care for minors to go into effect.

Ultimately, the fate of Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth will hinge on the forthcoming full ruling by the 6th Circuit court.