A federal judge has ruled that Georgia must continue providing hormone therapy and certain gender-affirming medical care to transgender inmates, blocking enforcement of a new state law that sought to end such treatment in prisons.
U.S. District Judge Victoria Marie Calvert issued the order after determining that denying hormone therapy to transgender inmates would violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The judge found that gender dysphoria is a serious medical condition and that abruptly cutting off treatment could cause significant physical and psychological harm.
Under the ruling, the Georgia Department of Corrections is required to continue hormone therapy for inmates who were already receiving it prior to the law’s passage. The state must also evaluate and provide treatment to incarcerated individuals who are newly diagnosed with gender dysphoria when medically appropriate.
The decision stems from a lawsuit filed by transgender inmates after Georgia lawmakers approved legislation earlier this year banning the use of state funds for hormone therapy, gender-transition surgery, and other gender-affirming treatments for people in custody. State officials had announced plans to phase out hormone therapy by the fall, prompting legal action from advocacy groups representing incarcerated transgender individuals.
In her ruling, Calvert rejected the state’s argument that hormone therapy is elective or nonessential care. She concluded that a blanket prohibition on treatment demonstrates deliberate indifference to inmates’ medical needs, a standard that has repeatedly been found unconstitutional in prison healthcare cases.
Georgia officials have criticized the ruling, arguing that the state should have discretion over how taxpayer funds are used and how prison healthcare is administered. The state has filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, signaling that the legal battle is far from over.
The case is part of a broader national debate over transgender rights and access to gender-affirming healthcare, particularly within public institutions. Courts across the country have issued conflicting rulings on similar laws, creating an evolving legal landscape that may ultimately require resolution by higher courts.
For now, Georgia prisons must continue hormone therapy and related medical evaluations for transgender inmates while the appeal moves forward. The outcome of the case could have lasting implications for how states regulate medical care for transgender people in custody.
