NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Tennessee’s law banning gender-affirming care for young people will stay in effect.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday rejected a request from families and medical providers to block the ban.

A release from the ACLU of Tennessee said the ruling comes after an earlier ruling by the Appeals Court that rejected a stay request to block enforcement of the law which took effect in July 2023.

The law bars minors from transgender therapies like hormone blockers and surgeries. It also requires youth currently receiving gender-affirming care to stop receiving the care by March 31, 2024.

Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP issued the following joint statement:

“This is a devastating result for transgender youth and their families in Tennessee and across the region. The disastrous impact of Tennessee’s law and all others like it has already been felt in thousands of homes and communities. Denying transgender youth equality before the law and needlessly withholding the necessary medical care their families and their doctors know is right for them has caused and will continue to cause serious harm. We are assessing our next steps and will take further action in defense of our clients and the constitutional rights of transgender people in Tennessee and across the country.”

In April 2023, the four organizations above filed a lawsuit opposing the law on behalf of Samantha and Brian Williams of Nashville and their 15-year-old daughter, as well as two other anonymous families and Dr. Susan N. Lacy.