A federal judge has issued an injunction that temporarily restores access to hormone therapy for transgender children in Georgia. Judge Sarah E. Geraghty ruled that the plaintiffs are "substantially likely" to succeed in challenging the law's constitutionality, halting the state's enforcement of the ban pending a final decision.
The lawsuit, Emma Koe, et al. v. Caylee Noggle, et al., was filed on June 30, 2023. It involves four Georgia families and TransParent, a national organization of parents with transgender children. They are represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the ACLU of Georgia (ACLU-GA), the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), and the law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP.
Following the ruling, counsel for the plaintiffs stated: “This decision is an incredible victory for Georgia families. We are gratified that the Court carefully considered the evidence and appropriately applied the law in halting SB 140. This law unapologetically targets transgender minors and denies them essential health care." The statement further emphasized that "the ruling restores parents’ rights to make medical decisions that are in their child’s best interest."
The legal team highlighted that major medical organizations support hormone therapy when medically necessary for transgender youth and noted that denying such care could risk serious harm associated with gender dysphoria.
This case marks another instance where federal courts have blocked bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, following similar rulings in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida. In June 2023, an Arkansas ban was struck down as unconstitutional under multiple clauses of the U.S. Constitution.