Court Upholds Arkansas Ban on Harmful ‘Transgender’ Procedures for Children

August 13, 2025

A federal appellate court upheld an Arkansas law protecting children from experimental and destructive “transgender” medical procedures.

Arkansas was the first state to pass a law shielding minors with sexual identity confusion from harmful puberty blockers, opposite-sex hormones and surgeries used to make them look more like the opposite sex, enacting the “Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act” (SAFE Act) in 2021.

After several court battles over the law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled in favor of SAFE Act on Tuesday, overturning a lower court’s decision blocking it from taking effect.

The SAFE Act also prohibits public funds from going to organizations that provide these procedures for minors, bans insurance companies from providing coverage for them, and allows those harmed by these procedures to file lawsuits against providers.

The Arkansas Family Council, a Focus on the Family-allied organization, applauded the decision from the 8th Circuit. In a press release, Family Council President Jerry Cox stated:

“This is amazing news. The SAFE Act is a good law that protects children from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-change surgeries. It has been blocked in court for the past four years.”

“Now the State of Arkansas can finally enforce this good law protecting children. That’s something to celebrate.”

Cox explained that other countries have found that such medical interventions don’t work and are harmful, saying, “Over the past four years, public health experts in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, Finland and other nations have found that science simply does not support performing these procedures on kids.”

The family policy council president added,

The SAFE Act is common sense legislation that protects children. That’s why the Arkansas Legislature voted overwhelmingly to pass it in 2021. That’s why more than half the states in America have passed similar laws since then. And that’s why the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a similar law in Tennessee earlier this year. Most people agree it is not right to perform [such] procedures on kids.

Shortly after the SAFE Act was passed, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued the state to allow disfiguring, body-damaging transgender procedures to continue. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of four families and two doctors.

In 2023, after an eight-day hearing, U.S. District Judge James “Jay” Moody struck down the Act. Judge Moody was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama.

Arkansas’ attorney general and the State Medical Board appealed the decision, and the 8th Circuit ruled in their favor, reversing Judge Moody’s decision and citing the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a similar law in Tennessee.

The 8th Circuit stated in its opinion:

Arkansas has a “compelling interest” in protecting the physical and psychological health of minors. …

By prohibiting healthcare professionals from referring “any” minors to “any healthcare professional for gender transition procedures,” the Act prohibits the procedures that the state deems unsafe for minors.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin commended the decision, stating in an X post, “I applaud the court’s decision and am pleased that children in Arkansas will be protected from experimental procedures.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has reversed the injunction in Brandt v. Griffin, which means the SAFE Act, which bans gender transition procedures for minors, can be enforced once the mandate issues.

I applaud the court’s decision and am pleased that children… pic.twitter.com/W3fgqIwRxV

— Attorney General Tim Griffin (@AGTimGriffin) August 12, 2025