BISMARCK — A judge has upheld North Dakota’s ban on transgender health care for children.

Burleigh County Judge Jackson Lofgren ruled Wednesday, Oct. 8, that the North Dakota Legislature was within its power to pass a law that prohibits medical professionals from conducting sex-reassignment surgeries and prescribing hormone treatments to children. Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed the law in 2023.

“This ruling is devastating for transgender youth and their families in North Dakota,” said Jess Braverman, legal director at Gender Justice. “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.”

Gender Justice represented several families and a doctor w

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