North Dakota Judge Denies Temporary Block on Law Banning Gender Transition Treatment for Minors

Plaintiffs, Including Families with Transgender Children, Vow to Continue Legal Fight Against the Ban

North Dakota District Judge Jackson Lofgren has denied a temporary restraining order to block the state's law banning gender transition treatment for minors.
The law, House Bill 1254, makes it a felony for a healthcare provider to perform gender transition surgery on a minor and a misdemeanor to prescribe or give hormone treatments or puberty blockers to a child.
The law was signed by Republican Governor Doug Burgum in April and includes a grandfather clause for children who were receiving treatments before it was signed into law.
Plaintiffs, including three families with transgender children and a pediatrician, have expressed disappointment but remain confident that the court will ultimately find the ban unconstitutional.
North Dakota is among more than 20 states that have passed similar laws, leading to various legal challenges. Enforcement of similar bans has been put on hold in some states while cases play out.