A ban in Kansas on gender-affirming care also would bar advocacy for kids’ social transitions

TOPEKA, Kan. — A proposed ban in Kansas on gender-affirming care for minors also would bar state employees from promoting it — or even children’s social transitioning. Teachers and social workers who support LGBTQ+ rights worry that they could be disciplined or fired for helping kids who are exploring their gender identities. Democratic Gov. Laura … Read more

Tennessee lawmakers OK bill penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s GOP-controlled Statehouse on Thursday gave their final approval to legislation penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, clearing the way for the first-in-the-nation proposal to be sent to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. The bill mirrors almost the same language from a so-called anti-abortion trafficking … Read more

US abortion battle rages on with moves to repeal Arizona ban and a Supreme Court case

Action in courts and state capitals around the U.S. this week have made it clear again: The overturning of Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion did not settle the issue. One iteration of the issue was back before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday for the second time in a month. Meanwhile, … Read more

New federal rule bars transgender school bathroom bans, but it likely isn’t the final word

A new rule from President Joe Biden’s administration blocking blanket policies to keep transgender students from using school bathrooms that align with their gender identity could conflict with laws in Republican-controlled states. The clash over bathroom policy and other elements of a federal regulation finalized last week could set the stage for another wave of … Read more

Minnesota and other Democratic-led states lead pushback on censorship. They’re banning the book ban

ST. PAUL, Minn. — As a queer and out youth, Shae Ross was alarmed when she heard that conservative groups were organizing in her community to ban books dealing with sexuality, gender and race. So she and her friends got organized themselves, and helped persuade their school board to make it much harder to remove … Read more

Seattle hospital won’t turn over gender-affirming care records in lawsuit settlement with Texas

DALLAS — DALLAS (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is dropping a request for a Seattle hospital to hand over records regarding gender-affirming treatment potentially given to children from Texas as part of a lawsuit settlement announced Monday. Seattle Children’s Hospital filed the lawsuit against Paxton’s office in December in response to the Republican … Read more

Things to know as courts and legislatures act on transgender kids’ rights

Three court rulings across the U.S. this week delved into laws restricting the rights of transgender kids, including the first time the U.S. Supreme Court has gotten involved in a ban on gender-affirming care. Most Republican-controlled states have now banned gender-affirming health care such as puberty blockers and hormones for transgender minors, and blocked transgender … Read more

Idaho’s ban on youth gender-affirming care has families desperately scrambling for solutions

Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when she began to take medication to block the onset of puberty. The gender-affirming treatment helped the now-16-year-old find happiness again, her father said. A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court late Monday allowing Idaho to … Read more

West Virginia transgender sports ban discriminates against teen athlete, appeals court says

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s transgender sports ban violates the rights of a teen athlete under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools, an appeals court ruled Tuesday. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the law cannot be applied to a 13-year-old who has been … Read more

Kansas governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for minors and 2 anti-abortion bills

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas’ governor on Friday vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a measure to require more reporting from abortion providers and what she called a “vague” bill making it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s actions set up a series of confrontations with … Read more