North Dakota
N.D. criminalizes health care for transgender minors
Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed bill on Wednesday

Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed into law Wednesday a veto-proof bill banning gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. The bill, House Bill 1254, restricts trans health care in the state, immediately making it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18.
PBS NewsHour reported the new law takes effect immediately and allows prosecutors to charge a health care provider with a felony ā up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines ā for performing sex reassignment surgery on a minor.
It also enables prosecutors to charge a provider with a misdemeanor ā up to 360 days in prison and $3,000 in fines ā for giving gender-affirming medication, like puberty blockers, to a trans child.
The governor’s office released a statement Thursday saying the law is āaimed at protecting children from the life-altering ramifications of gender reassignment surgeries,ā although the statement also noted that health care professionals have testified these surgeries are not being performed in the state.
āGoing forward, thoughtful debate around these complex medical policies should demonstrate compassion and understanding for all North Dakota youth and their families,ā he said.
The law still allows medication treatment for early onset puberty and other rare circumstances with parental consent, and minors currently receiving gender-affirming care will still be able to receive treatment and not be forced to detransition.
The American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota, which opposed HB 1254, said in a statement the bill represents vast government overreach that undermines the fundamental rights of parents, and by singling out gender-affirming care for categorical prohibition violates the constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process.
āBy signing this bill into law, Gov. Burgum has put the government in charge of making vital decisions traditionally reserved for parents in North Dakota. This ban wonāt stop North Dakotans from being trans, but it will deny them critical support that helps struggling transgender youth grow up to become thriving transgender adults,” said Cody Schuler, ACLU of North Dakota advocacy manager.
āGov. Burgum and supporters of House Bill 1254 have chosen fearmongering, misrepresentations, intimidation and extremist politics over the rights of families and the lives of transgender youth in North Dakota. But this fight is far from over ā we are determined to build a future where North Dakota is a safe place to raise every child. As our politicians continue to fail trans youth, it is up to each and every one of us to rise against their fear and ignorance and surround these young people with strength, safety and love.ā
North Dakota now becomes the 14th state that has enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors.

National
North Dakota governor signs bill restricting pronouns for transgender youth
The legislation forces faculty to āoutā a trans student to their parents & prohibit schools from acknowledging the gender identity of students

Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed into law House Bill 1522 on Monday, legislation that would ban transgender students from using the restrooms that match their gender identity.
The legislation also will force faculty and administrators to āoutā a trans student to their parents, and prohibit schools and government entities from adopting policies that acknowledge the gender identity of their students or employees.
The law took effect immediately.
āIt doesnāt infringe on anyone elseās rights to share spaces with those who are different. Like previous efforts to expel people of color, people with disabilities, and others from communal spaces, these arguments for privacy and safety just mask a fear of difference,” said American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota’s advocacy manager Cody Schuler.
āBy signing House Bill 1522, Gov. Burgum is forcing transgender students to make the impossible decision of breaking the law or revealing their private medical information ā not to mention the obvious risk of harassment and violence that comes with forcing transgender students into the facilitates that do not match their gender identity. It is quite clear whose privacy and very lives are really at risk now that House Bill 1522 is law,ā Schuler noted.
āAdditionally, mandatory outing of a studentās trans identity violates their privacy rights at school ā particularly for trans youth who cannot be safe at home. And creating a supportive working and learning environment also requires treating people with dignity and respect, including ā at a minimum ā calling them by the name and pronouns they want to use. These are both unlawful and discriminatory practices,” he said.
āThe fight for trans rights is not about āspecial rightsā ā itās about fundamental rights. Itās about fairness and equality for all,ā Schuler stressed.
Burgum had previously signed into law a veto-proof bill banning gender-affirming health care for trans youth. The bill, House Bill 1254, restricts trans health care in the state, immediately making it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18.
That law also took effect immediately and allows prosecutors to charge a health care provider with a felony ā up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines ā for performing sex reassignment surgery on a minor.
It also enables prosecutors to charge a provider with a misdemeanor ā up to 360 days in prison and $3,000 in fines ā for giving gender-affirming medication, like puberty blockers, to a trans child.
The governorās office released a statement Thursday saying the law is āaimed at protecting children from the life-altering ramifications of gender reassignment surgeries,ā although the statement also noted that health care professionals have testified these surgeries are not being performed in the state.
āGoing forward, thoughtful debate around these complex medical policies should demonstrate compassion and understanding for all North Dakota youth and their families,ā he said.
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