Kansas judge blocks law banning gender-transition treatments for minors

A Kansas judge has temporarily blocked a state law banning gender-transition treatments for minors, granting an injunction sought by parents of two teenagers who are challenging the measure.

District Judge Carl Folsom III issued the ruling Friday, halting enforcement of the law passed in January over Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto. The law prohibits hormone therapies and puberty suppressants for transgender youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

Folsom sided with the teenagers’ parents, who sued to stop the law, arguing they have the right to make medical decisions for their children, according to court documents and a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the plaintiffs.

“This is an enormous relief to our clients and families across the state of Kansas,” ACLU attorney Harper Seldin said in a statement.

Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach, a Republican, said he plans to appeal the decision, according to local media reports. If the injunction is upheld, it will remain in effect for the duration of the lawsuit.

Kobach called the ruling “a stark example of judicial activism,” according to the New York Times.

The law, passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, bans gender-affirming medical care for minors. The U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that states can prohibit such treatments, but the lawsuit argues the Kansas law violates the state constitution.

Folsom, appointed by Kelly, said he sees a “substantial likelihood” that the plaintiffs will succeed on their claims.

“Specifically, the Court concludes that Plaintiffs are likely to prevail based on the right to personal autonomy set out in Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights and a parent’s fundamental right to make medical decisions for their children,” Folsom wrote.