Missouri Attorney General Withdraws Controversial Rule Limiting Transgender Health Care

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey withdrew a controversial emergency rule that would have banned gender-affirming care for minors and most adults in the state. The rule was already paused through at least July 20 as a lawsuit plays out. Bailey's rule sought to make it "unlawful" for individuals or health care providers to provide gender-affirming care without confirming that a patient has "for at least the 3 most recent consecutive years ... exhibited a medically documented, long-lasting, persistent and intense pattern of gender dysphoria." Missouri's legislature last week passed its own bill banning most gender-affirming care for most minors, but not transgender adults.