Supreme Court Ruling Affects North Dakota Transgender Healthcare Lawsuit
Fargo — A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth does not automatically terminate a similar lawsuit in North Dakota. This case, challenging North Dakota’s House Bill 1254, is currently under consideration by Burleigh County Judge Jackson Lofgren, with a ruling expected later this summer or fall.
Represented by Gender Justice, Dr. Luis Casas and three patients allege that the ban on sex-reassignment surgeries and hormone treatments violates their rights to personal autonomy under the North Dakota Constitution. Senior attorney Brittany Stewart emphasized, “All North Dakotans have a right to make their own health care decisions… It’s about protecting the fundamental right to access lifesaving health care.”
The North Dakota Attorney General’s Office is defending the law, citing the Supreme Court ruling as affirmation of state legislative authority in these matters. State Rep. Keith Boehm, a backer of the legislation, argued it protects children from harmful decisions at a young age.
Gender Justice criticized the Supreme Court’s decision as prioritizing politics over science, warning it could lead to increased government intrusion in personal healthcare decisions. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Stewart remains optimistic about their case in North Dakota.
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