Trial ends in lawsuit against North Dakota’s trans health care ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2025

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Noah Parrish, Communications Director
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Judge’s ruling pending amid rising national attacks on trans rights

Bismarck, ND—

Today, after days of powerful testimony, the trial in T.D. v. Wrigley concluded in Burleigh County District Court. This case challenges North Dakota’s sweeping ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. While the judge will issue a ruling in the coming months, the devastating impact of this cruel and unconstitutional law was made clear through testimony from the young people directly affected and their parents, whose voices brought the real-life consequences of this law into sharp focus.

“We presented overwhelming evidence that North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming care is not only unconstitutional but inflicts real harm on transgender young people and their families,” said Brittany Stewart, Senior Staff Attorney at Gender Justice and lead attorney for the plaintiffs. “This case is about more than a single law—it’s about standing up for the rights of all North Dakotans to get the healthcare they need to live happy, healthy lives and to be treated equally under the law, regardless of gender.”

The trial unfolded amid a troubling escalation of anti-transgender policies at the national level, including a recent, blatantly unconstitutional executive order by the Trump administration attempting to block gender-affirming care for youth across the country. These attacks on trans health care are not just political—they’re dangerous, violating federal and often state law and undermining the health and dignity of transgender young people.

“Political ideology should never dictate access to health care,” said Tanya Pellegrini, Senior Counsel at the Lawyering Project. “Politicians hell-bent on robbing people of their fundamental rights should not be dictating who can and can’t get medically necessary care. Those deeply personal decisions should be left to individuals and their families.”

Major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, support gender-affirming care as safe, effective, and often life-saving.

Since the law’s passage, transgender youth and their families have experienced severe emotional, psychological, and financial harm. Some families have been forced to travel up to seven hours round trip for routine doctor visits, while others live in constant fear of losing access to life-saving care.

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