Legal Battle Looms Over Gender-Affirming Care Ban in North Dakota

A lawsuit against North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors is set to go to trial. The suit, brought by families and a doctor, alleges the law violates the state constitution. The trial will examine the law's impact and its constitutionality amid widespread opposition from medical groups.

The legal confrontation over North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors intensifies as the trial starts. Families, along with a pediatric endocrinologist, argue the law infringes the state's constitution.

Signed by then-Gov. Doug Burgum in April 2023, the controversial law criminalizes hormone treatments for transgender children. Proponents claim it's a protective measure, but opponents argue it threatens the mental health of transgender kids.

Courts have reduced the scope of the lawsuit, which now pivots on the claims of a single doctor. Similar bans face legal challenges nationwide, with federal judges in some states ruling such restrictions unconstitutional.

(With inputs from agencies.)