January 1, North Dakota Judge Backs Ban on Child Transgender Care

Wyatt’s Take

• Judge upholds ban on transgender treatments for children in North Dakota
• Law targets medical procedures and prescriptions for minors
• Supporters say it’s about protecting children from lifelong consequences

A North Dakota judge has decided the state’s ban on transgender treatments for minors follows the constitution, saying it does not unfairly target anyone based on sex.

District Judge Jackson Lofgren wrote, “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 law was put in place in April 2023. It makes it a felony for anyone to perform transgender surgeries on minors, and a misdemeanor for giving puberty blockers or hormone treatments to kids who identify as transgender.

Only two pediatric endocrinologists in the state gave these services before the law passed. Nationwide, at least 27 states have similar bans or restrictions now, and the U.S. Supreme Court has said states can decide these rules for themselves.

Republican legislator Bill Tveit, who pushed for the law, praised the ruling.

“It’s a law that needs to be there. We need to protect our youth, and that’s what the whole goal of this thing was from the beginning,” Tveit said.

The lawsuit challenging the law came from families and a pediatric doctor, but only the doctor’s claims are moving forward after the judge dismissed the rest.

Kids who started treatments before the law can still get care, according to the judge’s decision.

Not everyone agrees with the ruling.

“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,” said Jess Braverman, legal director for Gender Justice.

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Wyatt Matters

Laws like this reflect a priority on protecting kids and letting families and communities decide what’s right for them. Everyday folks want children to be safe from making decisions that could change their lives forever before they really understand the stakes.