Trial over gender-affirming care set to begin Monday
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The ACLU of Missouri's lawsuit against Governor Mike Parson will enter the trial phase on Monday in the case of Noe v. Parson.
The suit, announced in July 2023 is led by the ACLU of Missouri along with Lambda Legal and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.
The lawsuit hopes to block Senate Bill 49, effective Aug. 28, 2023, which banned access to gender-affirming care for children under 18 years old. This includes puberty blockers and hormones. The bill also stops Missouri's Medicaid program, MO HealthNet, from providing payment for gender-affirming treatments of any age.
According to the press release from the ACLU in July, the suit was filed on behalf of the families of three transgender people, Southampton Community Healthcare and two of its medical providers, and two organizations representing hundreds of families and health professionals across the state, PFLAG National and GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality.
In Lambda Legal's motion for Preliminary Injunction, ACLU Missouri wants to stop Senate Bill 49 to avoid permanent and potentially serious negative health consequences for transgender adolescents across Missouri.
In the memo, the plaintiffs argue against the bill for multiple reasons. This includes that the bill discriminates based on sex and transgender status, that there is no factual justification for the act, and that the bill will cause mental and emotional harm to families and transgender individuals.
“Doctors, nurses, and all health professionals play a crucial role in promoting healthier and happier communities in Missouri and beyond,” Alex Sheldon, Executive Director of GLMA, said in a release from Lambda Legal. “SB 49 blatantly undermines the extensive expertise and life-saving work of health professionals by placing unnecessary constraints on their ability to provide essential care for transgender patients."
The bench trial is set to begin at 9 a.m. Monday and will be presided over by Judge R. Craig Carter.
Check back for updates as this is a developing story.
