Idaho Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Minors Temporarily Blocked

The law, facing backlash from families and medical associations, would have imposed severe penalties on healthcare professionals providing such care.

A federal judge in Idaho has temporarily blocked a state ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, just days before the law was set to take effect.
The law would have placed medical professionals who provide such care for transgender people under the age of 18 at risk of fines up to $5,000 and a felony conviction, resulting in up to 10 years in prison.
Major medical associations, including the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, agree that gender-affirming care is evidence-based and medically necessary for many children and adults.
The legislation faced immediate backlash, with the families of two transgender teenagers in Idaho filing the lawsuit challenging the ban.
About 20 states have banned gender-affirming care for youth, according to the Human Rights Campaign.