Missouri Judge Halts Transgender Health Care Restrictions

A Missouri judge has temporarily blocked a rule that would have restricted access to gender-affirming health care for transgender kids and adults. The rule, which was set to take effect on Thursday, was challenged by transgender Missourians and health care providers who argued that the attorney general acted beyond his authority in attempting to regulate gender-affirming health care under the state's consumer-protection laws. The judge ruled that the rule would cause immediate, severe, and potentially irreparable harm to transgender people who could lose access to medically-necessary treatment for gender dysphoria.