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LOUISVILLE, KY - A federal judge on Wednesday issued preliminary injunction against Kentucky’s ban on gender-a rming care for minors, Senate Bill 0.

In his fifteen page ruling, United States District Court udge David . Hale wrote: “After careful consideration, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have shown a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their constitutional challenges to SB 0 and otherwise meet the requirements for preliminary injunctive relief.”

In late March, both chambers of the Kentucky Legislature voted to override Governor Andy Beshear’s veto on Senate Bill 0, a sweeping bill that would severely restrict the lives of trans youth in the state.

The law as enacted:

• ans en er a rmin me ical care, incl in treatments that ela ert , other forms of hor mone thera an s r er , for trans an non ina r eo le n er ears ol

• e ires re okin the licenses of octors who ro i e s ch ser ices

• ells lic schools to lock trans st ents from sin athrooms an locker rooms that match their en er i entit

• llows lic school teachers to mis en er trans st ents

• Pre ents lic schools from allowin e cational resentations that st en er i entit or se al

Orientation

The minor plaintiffs are three transgender boys and four transgender girls who live in entucky. Six are “currently receiving” treatments that would be banned under SB 0 while the seventh “anticipates needing to receive” those treatments when she begins puberty.

There had been considerable public outcry as after the entucky Legislature overrode Beshear’s veto.

In an emailed statement to the Blade last March, Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman reflected on the Assembly’s actions:

“While we lost the battle in the legislature, our defeat is temporary. We will not lose in court. And we are winning in so many other ways. Thousands of entucky kids came to the Capitol today to make their voices heard against the worst anti-trans bill in the nation. They are our hope for a Kentucky future that is more fair, more just, and more beautifully diverse and accepting than ever before.

I applaud the brave protesters who stood their ground in the entucky House gallery today before being removed by entucky State Troopers. Their chants and pain were heard by all in the chamber and were a necessary show of the grief and harm Senate Bill 0 will cause. Transgender children and their families in entucky are scared, rightfully so. We will do all we can to ensure they can continue to access the life-saving medical care they deserve.”

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the group wrote: “ udge issues preliminary injunction against Senate Bill 0’s gender-a rming care ban hours before the law is set to take effect Thank you, ACLU of entucky, for suing on behalf of Trans kids families ”

BRODY LEVESQUE