Judge upholds North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for kids

[Jessica_Rose]

Judge upholds North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for kids

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/judge-upholds-north-dakota-s-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-kids/ar-AA1Oa73D?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=3bb1bfbee91c458bbaf262ab86fd59a0&ei=129 🔗 [Link: msn.com/en-​us/news/us/judge-​upholds-​north-​dakota-​s-​ban-​on-​gender-​affirming-​care-​for-​kids/ar-​AA1Oa73D/]

JACK DURA (9 Oct 2025)

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota judge has upheld the state's ban on gender-affirming care for children, in a blow to families who have had to travel out of state to obtain the medical treatments they said are crucial for their kids' well-being.

District Judge Jackson Lofgren's said in his decision Wednesday that the law discriminates based on age and medical purpose, not sex, and that there's little evidence the Legislature passed the law for "an invidious discriminatory purpose." He also noted various concerns and ongoing debates over the medical treatments involved.

"The evidence presented at trial establishes there is a legitimate concern regarding the capacity of minors to understand and appreciate the long-term consequences of the practices prohibited by the Health Care Law," the judge wrote, adding that he doesn't believe the law violates the state constitution.

"This ruling is devastating for transgender youth and their families in North Dakota. The evidence in this case was overwhelming: this law inflicts real harm, strips families of their constitutional rights, and denies young people the medical care they need to thrive," Jess Braverman, the legal director for the gender equity nonprofit Gender Justice, which represented the plaintiff, said in a statement.

[Lori Dee]

"The evidence presented at trial establishes there is a legitimate concern regarding the capacity of minors to understand and appreciate the long-term consequences of the practices prohibited by the Health Care Law," the judge wrote

Because, as everyone knows, children can go and get gender-affirming care without parental consent, without consulting a mental health professional, without any medical treatment or prescriptions, and, according to Trump, they can get genital surgery any day while at school.

"The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant."
~ Albert Einstein