Judge Puts Idaho Ban on Transgender Medical Care for Minors on Hold

A federal judge in Idaho has issued a hold for a ban on transgender medical care for minors, blocking the state's efforts to halt gender-affirming treatment.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued a preliminary injunction just six days before the state's law was scheduled to go into effect.

“After carefully considering the voluminous evidence on this point, the court finds that the treatment for gender dysphoria — when provided in accordance with the guidelines published by (the World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and the Endocrine Society, and which may include medical interventions such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries — is safe, effective and medically necessary for some adolescents,” Winmill wrote, defending the ruling using medical background responded to a plaintiff writing that their mental health "greatly improved" since beginning treatment.

In the ruling, Winmill determined that two Idaho transgender minors and their parents would be successful in their lawsuit against the law based on the 14th Amendment equal protection and due process clauses, according to the Idaho Statesman.

“Time and again, these cases illustrate that the 14th Amendment’s primary role is to protect disfavored minorities and preserve our fundamental rights from legislative overreach,” Winmill wrote. “That was true for newly freed slaves following the Civil War. It was true in the 20th century for women, people of color, interracial couples and individuals seeking access to contraception. And it is no less true for transgender children and their parents in the 21st century.”

The bill, signed by Republican Gov. Brad Little, makes it a federal offense to issue puberty blockers, hormone therapies and transition-related surgeries to minors.