A Kansas state judge blocks a recently approved law that bans gender-transition treatments for minors. The decision comes after a lawsuit filed by parents of two transgender teenagers who say they should be able to decide with medical providers about their children’s health care. The teenagers seek to continue gender-transition treatment using medicines.
The judge, Carl Folsom III, grants an injunction at the request of the plaintiffs, halting enforcement of the law while the case proceeds. The New York Times reports the teenagers argue the ban violates the Kansas Constitution, and the Guardian describes the parents’ challenge as focused on their rights to make medical decisions for their children.
The law was enacted last year after Kansas lawmakers passed it over the Democratic governor’s veto. With the injunction in place, the state cannot enforce the ban against the plaintiffs and, depending on the order’s scope, may pause enforcement more broadly while litigation continues. The case is expected to proceed through the legal process.
