Judge upholds Ohio’s gender-affirming care ban; civil rights group vows immediate appeal

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A judge in Ohio says a state law that limits gender-affirming health care for youth under 18 can go into effect. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said it will file an immediate appeal. The law bans transgender surgeries and hormone therapies for minors, unless they are already receiving such therapies and it is deemed a risk to stop by a doctor. A judge in Franklin County upheld the law Tuesday after it was challenged by the ACLU. State lawmakers in January enacted the law that also bans transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.