Montgomery, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has spearheaded a 23-state coalition in filing a legal brief in support of Florida’s appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Doe v. Surgeon General, State of Florida. The appeal challenges a district court’s decision to block a Florida law that restricts gender transition procedures for minors, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries. Marshall and the coalition are urging the appellate court to overturn the injunction and allow Florida’s law to stand.
This legal action follows Marshall’s leadership of a 22-state coalition two months earlier, which successfully petitioned the Court of Appeals to permit Florida to enforce its law while the appeal proceeds. Last week, the court granted that request.
The debate over gender transition procedures for minors has gained national attention, with over half of U.S. states and several European countries enacting similar restrictions. Attorney General Marshall has been a vocal advocate for defending these laws, often facing legal opposition from organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the U.S. Department of Justice.
In a statement, Marshall underscored his belief that evidence does not support administering sex-change procedures to minors. He pointed to Alabama’s own legal battle, during which, he claims, documents were uncovered showing that certain organizations and the Biden-Harris administration were aware of the lack of conclusive evidence supporting such procedures.
“When Alabama’s law was challenged, we fought back, uncovering numerous documents from radical organizations and the Biden-Harris Administration showing that they knew all along that the evidence simply does not support performing sex-change procedures on minors,” Marshall said. “It is now clearer than ever that the key organizations supporting these procedures, including the federal government, have prioritized politics and ideology over the health of children.”
Marshall has been an active figure in defending laws that restrict gender transition procedures for minors. Earlier this year, the Eleventh Circuit allowed Alabama to enforce its Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which places similar restrictions.
The coalition led by Alabama includes the attorneys general of 22 other states: Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
