The Biden administration must pause its enforcement of federal guidance seeking to protect transgender students and workers in 20 states, a federal judge ruled Friday, siding with Republican-led states fighting to enforce anti-trans policies on their books. The order issued late Friday allows the 20 states to continue enforcing controversial laws without risk of retaliatory action from the administration, including the loss of federal funding for schools. It drew praise from Tennessee, which is leading the states in a lawsuit, and condemnation from LGBTQ advocates who criticized the judge for “legislating from the bench.”

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