Judge stops Kansas law restricting transgender youth health care

A Kansas judge temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a ban on gender-affirming care for youth. The ruling issued an injunction while a lawsuit proceeds, concluding that a challenge under the Kansas Constitution arguing the law violates parental rights is likely to prevail. The injunction prevents enforcement during the litigation but does not permanently strike down the statute. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said he will appeal. The 2025 “Help Not Harm Act” criminalizes providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth, restricts state funding for treatment, and imposes penalties on providers. The law bars puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and transition-related surgeries for minors, and it is described as among the most expansive bans in the country. The injunction does not apply to surgery restrictions because the plaintiffs’ claims did not include them.

"Douglas County District Judge Carl Folsom issued an injunction on the law, saying a lawsuit challenging the statute under the Kansas Constitution has a strong likelihood of prevailing, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. “This temporary injunction is not a final determination of any claim,” Folsom wrote in a decision. “But it is intended to prevent the Plaintiffs from suffering irreparable injury during the pendency of this lawsuit while the Plaintiffs' claims are being litigated.”"

"The injunction does not strike down the law outright, but it means the statute cannot be enforced while the legal challenge moves forward. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said he is appealing the decision. “This is a stark example of judicial activism,” Kobach said in a statement. “The judge invented a new constitutional right out of whole cloth. Even though the Kansas Constitution says nothing about it, the judge created a new right of parents to obtain otherwise-illegal treatments for their children.”"

"The Kansas Legislature in 2025 passed the prohibition on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, overriding a veto by Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. The so-called “Help Not Harm Act” criminalized providing such care, restricted the use of state funds for treatment, and imposed harsh penalties on providers. The statute blocks access to puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and transition-related surgeries for minors, and has been decried as one of the most expansive bans on transgender health care in the country."

Read at Advocate.com