Montana Supreme Court upholds lower court ruling that allows gender-affirming care for minors
The Montana Supreme Court is continuing to block a law that sought to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors while it goes through the courts
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors will remain temporarily blocked, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, after justices unanimously agreed with a lower court judge who found the law likely violates the state's constitutional right to privacy.
The case against the Montana law now goes to trial before District Court Judge Jason Marks in Missoula.
“I will never understand why my representatives are working to strip me of my rights and the rights of other transgender kids,” Phoebe Cross, a 17-year-old transgender boy and lead plaintiff, said in a statement. “Just living as a trans teenager is difficult enough, the last thing me and my peers need is to have our rights taken away.”
The attorney general's office said it looks forward to defending the law, with a spokesperson noting there are recent scientific and legal developments that fall in the state's favor. This comes as the British government on Wednesday indefinitely banned puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria, citing an unacceptable safety risk.
