Federal appeals court hearing arguments on nation's first ban on gender-affirming care for minors

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal appeals court will hear arguments Thursday over Arkansas' first-in-the-nation ban on gender-affirming care for minors, as the fight over the restrictions on transgender youths adopted by two dozen states moves closer to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Arkansas is appealing a federal judge's ruling last year that struck down the state's ban as unconstitutional, the first decision to overturn such a prohibition. The 2021 law would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18.

The case is going before the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rather than a three-judge panel after it granted a request by Republican Attorney General Tim Griffin. The move could speed up the case's march toward the U.S. Supreme Court, which has been asked to block similar laws in Kentucky and Tennessee.

It’s unclear when the 8th Circuit will make a ruling, though one is unlikely to come immediately.