Opening arguments begin today in a lawsuit challenging North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth.

The case stems from a law change the state legislature approved in 2023, mirroring action in other conservative-led states.

With some exceptions, the ban brings criminal penalties against doctors if they provide care, like puberty blockers, to transgender people under the age of 18.

Brittany Stewart senior staff attorney with the legal non-profit Gender Justice, which represents the plaintiffs. She said these laws prevent families from seeking critical healthcare for their child.

"Young people who are dealing with gender dysphoria, which is a legitimate medical condition recognized by all the medical associations," said Stewart, "this is the care that helps alleviate symptoms, and those symptoms include extreme anxiety and depression."

Her organization reports families having to drive up to seven hours for doctor appointments.

Republicans behind the ban argue they're trying to protect children, noting young people aren't mature enough for these decisions.

But ban opponents say parents and doctors are heavily involved in discussing the lengthy process, and that gender-affirming surgery is rare for minors.

A separate legal challenge out of Tennessee is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. And Stewart noted that the courts have frowned on similar laws in a neighboring state.

"The Montana Supreme Court just upheld the injunction that is halting their gender-affirming care ban," said Stewart. "And they did find that the ban violated that individual right to personal autonomy."

Testimony in the North Dakota trial is expected to last a little more than a week. Since it's a bench trial with no jury, Stewart said it'll likely take several months for the judge to decide the outcome.

Meanwhile, an opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court case is expected this summer.




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As Pride Month winds down, LGBTQ+ support groups in South Dakota said they are strengthening a resource tool detailing which businesses are willing to serve and stand with the state's queer population.

The Transformation Project, which assists transgender individuals and their families around the state, is taking over leadership duties for Dorothy's List. Adam Jorgensen created the list as a way to highlight South Dakota businesses promoting and practicing inclusivity.

He said part of it is knowing which shops, restaurants and companies are allies in policy debates. Jorgensen added it can be about the best way to recruit workers who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

"If they, for example, don't have a strong policy with hiring, or maybe they need to update their forms or their website," Jorgensen explained.

He pointed out businesses seeking this guidance can get connected with other list members who are in a position to help. Jorgenson stressed this is a need for smaller businesses without a big human resources department. Officials said the new partnership can devote more staff to find allies in smaller towns and not just the state's larger cities.

South Dakota is among the conservative-led states to pass restrictive laws advocates say unfairly target LGBTQ+ people but Jorgensen emphasized it doesn't mean there's no one to turn to.

"There's been a lot of political noise and theater over the years, where people are led to believe that South Dakota isn't the place for people like us," Jorgensen acknowledged. "It really is. There's communities across the state where they're welcomed wholeheartedly."

He added the list also informs people about welcoming businesses when they need to do things such as hiring a contractor to work at their home.

According to a recent survey from the group, only 18% of respondents said they see businesses engage with the LGBTQ+ community outside of Pride Month. Another 59% said they struggle to find openly inclusive businesses to support or work for.


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California groups fighting for equality and inclusivity in health care are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign the state budget as is, leaving LGBTQ+ health care grants in place.

Newsom has until Friday to sign a balanced budget to close a $12 billion deficit.

Ariela Cuellar, senior communication specialist at the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, a project of the nonprofit Health Access California, pressed Newsom to retain the funding.

"Now is the time for Gavin Newsom to really prove his allyship in supporting a budget that reflects funding for LGBTQ+ resources and community centers to improve our lives," Cuellar urged.

The Governor's May budget revision proposed $40 million in cuts to programs like the California Reducing Disparities Project, the Gender Health Equity Section and the Office of Health Equity, but lawmakers kept them in place. The programs provide mental health care, peer support and reproductive health services to the LGBTQ+ community.

Cuellar added she is optimistic the Governor will forgo his line-item veto power and preserve the funding, especially given the Trump administration's attacks on programs supporting gender identity.

"Funding LGBTQ orgs is still going to be a need, not only through this budget cycle but for years to come," Cuellar emphasized. "Especially as the federal administration continues to cut vital resources like the 988 LGBTQ suicide hotline."

California residents can submit comments about the budget online.

A new Indiana law takes effect July 1 banning transgender women and girls from playing on women's college sports teams, expanding the state's earlier K-12 restrictions passed in 2022.

The measure applies to all public colleges and universities, and any private school competing against a public institution. Supporters said the measure protects fairness in women's sports by requiring athletes to compete based on their sex assigned at birth.

Zoe O'Haillin-Berne, director of marketing and communications for the LGBTQ+ community support organization Indiana Youth Group, said the law harms students already at high risk.

"Laws like HB 1041 do more than restrict sports participation," O'Haillin-Berne pointed out. "They send a loud and resounding message that transgender youth do not belong in Indiana."

Opponents of the new law have said it is not backed by facts. O'Haillin-Berne added it distracts from the real challenges transgender students face on campus.

O'Haillin-Berne disputed widely-disseminated claims of "unfairness" when trans athletes compete in women's sports.

"1041 is built on the false claim that transgender girls are dominating women's sports," O'Haillin-Berne noted. "In reality, most transgender youth avoid sports altogether. They do this because of the scrutiny and bullying that they face on a day-to-day basis."

O'Haillin-Berne argued Indiana leaders should focus on making schools and campuses safer for all students, not more hostile.


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