A court order upholding North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth is being appealed to the state’s Supreme Court.
Dr. Luis Casas is a North Dakota-based pediatric endocrinologist challenging the order, and is represented by Gender Justice and the Lawyering Project. Current state law levies up to 360 days in prison and $3,000 in fines for providing that health care.
Casas claims the law takes away decisions on medical care for transgender youth from families and places it in the hands of state government.
Jess Braverman is Legal Director at Gender Justice. They say the North Dakota State Constitution does not support the ruling.
"We are appealing today because we believe the North Dakota Constitution is stronger than that, and North Dakotans deserve better than that."
Braverman also says the question before the Court is not whether politicians dislike gender affirming care – but whether the Constitution means what it says.
