Attorney General Ken Paxton joined a multistate coalition in support of Arkansas’ defense of its recently-enacted law banning the use of hormones and surgery to treat gender dysphoria in children. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement of the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, which prohibits healthcare professionals from providing gender transition procedures to minors.   

“There is no reason to put children through dangerous procedures at a pivotal time in their development, and states have every right to protect their citizens,” Attorney General Paxton said. “Despite the countless studies from advocacy groups such as the World Professional Association for Transgender Health warning against these methods of gender transition in children, the ACLU continues to push for the use of puberty blockers that reduce children’s bone density and brain functionality.” 

The letter explains that states have broad authority to regulate the medical profession in areas fraught with medical and scientific uncertainties, and there is no doubt that these procedures are entirely experimental and have never been evaluated or approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a method of gender transition in children. 

Read the full amicus brief here