Judge won't block North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for children
Source: Scripps News
Posted at 4:17 PM, Jun 06, 2024
A North Dakota law banning gender-affirming care for children will continue to be enforced pending a court challenge, but any kids whose treatments began before the law took effect in April 2023 can keep getting the care, according to a judge’s ruling released Wednesday.
Judge Jackson Lofgren denied a preliminary injunction sought by families seeking to overturn the law, as he had previously done in November when the plaintiffs sought a temporary restraining order.
The plaintiffs said a grandfather clause in the law is so vague it led providers to stop treatments in the state, but the judge made clear those minors can continue any medical care they had before the law took effect.
It isn't clear that the plaintiffs are “substantially” likely to win their case, now scheduled for a November trial, on claims that the law violates rights to parent or to personal autonomy and self-determination, the judge said.
Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/us-news/lgbtq/judge-wont-block-north-dakotas-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-children