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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 10 mei 2022

Transgender treatment, doctors threatened by new Alabama law

law. He said it was already families with kids identifying
hard enough for families in Four Alabama families with as trans and seeking help for
this very conservative state transgender children have gender-related issues, they
to come to terms themselves filed a lawsuit challenging the decided to found a clinic to
with their children’s situa- new state law as unconstitu- treat children with gender
tions. They had already faced tional. The U.S. Department dysphoria. They now treat
the social stigma and “the of Justice has joined the suit. more than 150 young people
difficult decision of leaving A federal judge heard evi- who are transgender or gen-
their church family or being dence this week on a request der diverse.
viewed less worthy,” he said. to block the state from en-
forcing the statute while the Ladinsky, who testified last
But gradually, he said, trans legal challenge goes forward. week as a witness in the law-
kids became more visible and More than 20 medical and suit, told The Associated
there was a greater openness mental health organizations, Press that she felt like she
in the state for them to come including the American was “walking in a nightmare”
out. Academy of Pediatrics, have when the Alabama Legisla-
also urged the judge to block ture approved the ban. She
“They always existed, but the law. A decision is expect- says the measure is an un-
they often did not have the ed sometime this week. precedented legislative over-
(AP) — Dr. Hussein Ab- hormones to trans people feeling of empowerment to reach into the decisions of
dul-Latif spent the last under age 19. A judge has come out, or come out to Alabama maintains the law parents and the practice of
week typing out prescrip- not yet ruled on a request to their physicians,” he said. is about protecting children. medicine.
tion refills for his young block the state from enforc- “And now that they are, we’re “The science and common
transgender patients, try- ing the law. hitting them back with legal sense are on Alabama’s side. “This is the first time ever
ing to make sure they had action.” We will win this fight to pro- that I can remember, at least
access to their medica- The measure is part of a wave tect our children,” Alabama for pediatricians, that we are
tions for a few months be- of legislation in Republican- Abdul-Latif notes that the Attorney General Steve Mar- literally forced to choose be-
fore Alabama made it il- controlled states focused on American Academy of Pedi- shall said last week. tween the Hippocratic Oath
legal for him to prescribe LGBTQ youth. Bills have atrics and the Pediatric En- we took to ‘do no harm’ and
them. been introduced to limit dis- docrine Society both endorse Now that the law is in ef- never abandon our patients
cussion of gender and sexual the treatments that clinics fect, families are wondering versus the facing of a poten-
He also answered questions identity issues in younger here and in other states are if they will have to move out tial felony conviction,” she
from anxious patients and grades or to prohibit kids providing for transgender of state and doctors are wor- said.
their parents: What will hap- from using school restrooms youth. ried about what will become
pen to me if I suddenly have or playing on sports teams of their patients. Ladinsky quickly agreed to
to stop taking testosterone? that don’t align with their sex In contrast, “The state is not co-found the gender clinic
Should we go out of state for at birth. only saying I am criminal for Abdul-Latif, who is originally in Birmingham when Abdul-
care? prescribing those medica- from Jordan, and pediatrician Latif approached her about
Abdul-Latif, a pediatric en- tions, but it’s saying that my Dr. Morissa Ladinsky both it. She had moved to the city
A new state law that took ef- docrinologist and co-founder organization of thousands of moved to Alabama years ago from a hospital in Cincinnati,
fect Sunday makes it a felony, of a clinic in Birmingham physicians, pediatricians and to work as instructors and Ohio, that had a pediatric
punishable by up to 10 years to treat children with gen- pediatric endocrinologists are physicians at the University gender health team, and was
in prison, for doctors to pre- der dysphoria, said he is very maybe partners in that crimi- of Alabama at Birmingham. familiar with the treatments.
scribe puberty blockers and discouraged by the Alabama nal enterprise,” he said. In 2015, after seeing more

Ex-Oklahoma officers charged in fatal shooting of Black man

(AP) — Two former Oklahoma po- ers then moved partially behind the man on Sunday. “These are good po- representing Sanders’ family. Merritt
lice officers have been charged with refrigerator. Sanders wasn’t armed, lice officers.” said he wants the charges upgraded to
first-degree manslaughter in the fatal Cabelka said. murder.
shooting of a Black man in December James said a gun was later discovered
while responding to a 911 call of an Hinkle shot four times at Sanders, on a table in the living room where “It really shocks the conscience when
alleged protective order violation. who appeared to have his right hand Sanders came out of. you have a chance to see Mr. Sand-
raised above his head before falling to ers literally doing whatever he could
Following a monthslong probe by the ground. Sanders sat up with his Civil rights attorney S. Lee Mer- to try to save his own life, and these
the Oklahoma State Bureau of In- hands above his head. Hinkle then ritt, who represented the family of officers are operating with such cal-
vestigation, Comanche County Dis- fired seven more times. George Floyd and is the lead lawyer lousness,” Merritt told KSWO-TV
trict Attorney Kyle Cabelka on Friday Ronan also fired four times at Sand- for Ahmaud Arbery ’s estate, is also Channel 7 in Lawton.
charged ex-Lawton Officers Robert ers, according to Cabelka, bringing
Hinkle, 30, and Nathan Ronan, 29, the total number of shots fired at
in the death of Quadry Sanders, 29, Sanders to 15.
The Oklahoman reported.
Cabelka said no weapon was found
Body camera footage released by the on Sanders nor in the area where he
Lawton Police Department shows was shot.
Sanders stands as he is confronted
by police outside a Lawton home Gary James, an Oklahoma City-based
on Dec. 5, 2021. The 911 caller re- attorney representing Hinkle, who is
ported Sanders was waving a gun in Black, and Ronan, who is white, said
the house and wouldn’t let a resident officers had repeatedly been called to
leave, according to authorities. the house because of Sanders, and ev-
idence will show on the night of the
The video shows Sanders appeared fatal shooting they believed he was
from around a refrigerator, his hands reaching for a weapon in his pants.
were visible and he appeared to be
holding a ball cap, which he moved “Nobody is looking into the facts of
from his right hand to his left. Sand- this case,” James told The Oklaho-