Judge upholds North Dakota youth gender-care ban
North Dakota District Judge Jackson Lofgren upheld the state’s 2023 law banning gender-affirming medical treatments for minors, ruling Wednesday in Bismarck that it discriminates by age and purpose, not sex, and does not violate the state constitution. The decision keeps in place misdemeanor penalties for providers who prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to minors and felony penalties for performing surgeries, with limited grandfathering for patients already in treatment.
Legal
Health
📌 Key Facts
- Judge Jackson Lofgren’s ruling found no invidious discriminatory purpose and cited concerns about minors’ capacity to understand long-term consequences.
- North Dakota’s law (effective April 2023) makes puberty blockers/hormones for minors a misdemeanor and surgeries a felony; surgeries were not performed in-state.
- The case was brought by families and a pediatric endocrinologist; only the physician remains as plaintiff after some claims were dismissed; advocates say families have traveled to Minnesota for care.