Judge denies initial request to temporarily block North Dakota’s ban on kids’ gender-affirming care

By JACK DURA
Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota judge has ruled that he won’t immediately block the state’s ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, delivering an early setback to families who want the new law found unconstitutional. District Judge Jackson Lofgren on Monday denied a temporary restraining order the plaintiffs had requested. They’ve also asked for a preliminary injunction that would temporarily block enforcement of the law as their case proceeds. A hearing is set for January for that request. Lofgren cited the plaintiffs’ “nearly five-month delay” in filing their complaint, and their argument hinging “upon inclusion in a protected class not previously recognized by the North Dakota Supreme Court or a new application of state constitutional principles.”