Judge stops Kansas law restricting transgender youth health carehttps://www.advocate.com/health/transgender-health/judge-blocks-kansas-care-ban 🔗Jacob Ogles (27 May 2026)
A Kansas judge temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a ban on gender-affirming care for youth, ruling that a legal challenge arguing the law violates parental rights is likely to succeed.
Douglas County District Judge Carl Folsom issued an injunction on the law, saying a lawsuit challenging the statute under the Kansas Constitution has a strong likelihood of prevailing, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal.
"This temporary injunction is not a final determination of any claim," Folsom wrote in a decision. "But it is intended to prevent the Plaintiffs from suffering irreparable injury during the pendency of this lawsuit while the Plaintiffs' claims are being litigated."
The injunction does not strike down the law outright, but it means the statute cannot be enforced while the legal challenge moves forward. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said he is appealing the decision.
The injunction does not apply to restrictions on surgery, as the Kansas plaintiffs challenging the law did not include that provision in their lawsuit. Surgery is rarely offered to minor patients.
But Folsom, who was appointed to the bench by Kelly in 2022, found the law likely infringes on the fundamental rights of parents to make decisions about their children's health care, rights he said are protected under the Kansas Constitution.
