Headline Roundup • August 12th, 2025
Appeals Court Upholds Oklahoma Ban on Gender Transition Treatments for Minors
Summary from the AllSides News Team
A federal appeals court upheld an Oklahoma law prohibiting gender transition treatments for minors, citing a June Supreme Court decision that upheld a similar Tennessee law.
The Details: Five families of transgender minors and an Oklahoma City physician filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s 2023 ban on gender transition treatments, arguing it violated constitutional rights. The 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals held the case until the Supreme Court decided its ruling in US v. Skrmetti, which determined that Tennessee’s ban on gender transition treatments for minors does not amount to sex discrimination. Citing that decision, the appeals court said the Oklahoma and Tennessee laws “are functionally indistinguishable.”
For Context: In 2023, Oklahoma enacted Senate Bill 613, making it a felony for health care providers to administer treatments like puberty blockers or hormone therapy to minors for the purpose of gender transition treatments. Tennessee Senate Bill 1 was upheld by the Supreme Court in June in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines.
How the Media Covered It: Just the News (Lean Right bias) framed the ruling as a win for other red states facing similar cases. It highlighted arguments against gender transition treatments for minors, including “permanent health risks”, and mentioned that the Oklahoma judges were nominated by presidents George W. Bush, Obama and Trump. LGBTQ Nation (Left) framed the Tennessee decision as “anti-trans”, and said Oklahoma’s bill bans all forms of “lifesaving health care–including reversible puberty blockers.” It also wrote that the decision will force trans minors to de-transition. The Hill (Center) focused on the opinion of Circuit Judge Joel M. Carson, who said, “We recognize the importance of this issue to all involved. But this remains a novel issue with disagreement on how to assure children’s health and welfare.”
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Editor's Note: A previous version of this summary broke from our standards in describing the law as prohibiting "gender affirming care". We instead use the phrase "gender transition treatments". Read about why.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Shutterstock
The Supreme Court’s devastating anti-trans ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti continues to impact court challenges to state-level bans on gender-affirming care for minors, most recently in Oklahoma.
Red states are getting the green light from the Supreme Court and an appeals court disproportionately overturned by SCOTUS to enforce laws that prioritize sex over gender identity in medicine and education, reinforcing a growing divide between conservative and liberal jurisdictions on immutable versus fluid traits.
A federal appeals court upheld an Oklahoma law banning gender-affirming care for minors Wednesday in a ruling hinging on a June Supreme Court decision to uphold a similar law in Tennessee.
