212875P.pdf   08/25/2022  Dylan Brandt  v.  Leslie Rutledge
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  21-2875
   U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas - Central   
   [PUBLISHED] [Kelly, Author, with Loken, Circuit Judge, and Menendez, 
   District Judge] 
   Civil case - Civil rights. Plaintiffs, a transgender youth, their parents, 
   and two healthcare professionals, sought to enjoin Arkansas Act 626, which 
   prohibits healthcare professionals from providing gender transition 
   procedures to any individual under the age of 18 or from referring any 
   such individual to any healthcare professional for gender transition 
   procedures; the district court enjoined the Act, and the State appeals. 
   Held: plaintiffs had standing to bring the suit; because a minor's sex at 
   birth determines whether or not the minor can receive certain types of 
   medical care under the law, Act 626 discriminates on the basis of sex and, 
   as such, the statute must be supported by an exceedingly persuasive 
   justification; the record at this stage of the proceedings provides 
   substantial evidence to support the district court's factual findings that 
   the Act prohibits medical treatment that conforms with the recognized 
   standard of care for adolescent gender dysphoria, that such treatment is 
   supported by medical evidence that has been subjected to rigorous study, 
   and that the purpose of the Act is not to ban a treatment but to ban an 
   outcome the State deems undesirable; as a result, the district court did 
   not err in concluding the Act is not substantially related to the State's 
   interest in protecting children from experimental treatment and regulating 
   medical ethics, and plaintiffs have demonstrated a likelihood of success 
   on their equal protection claim; the balance of the equities also favored 
   plaintiffs; the district court did not abuse its discretion in granting a 
   facial injunction.