Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Missouri Gender Care Restrictions Temporarily Suspended By Judge
St. Louis Public Radio: Judge Temporarily Blocks Missouri Transgender Care Restrictions
A St. Louis County judge has temporarily blocked Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s restrictions on transgender minors and adults accessing gender-affirming care. After a hearing Wednesday afternoon, Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo stayed implementation of the emergency order that was slated to go into effect Thursday. Among other reasons, Ribaudo said she wanted time to review a brief from Bailey’s office on a temporary restraining order requested by those suing to stop the restrictions. (Rosenbaum, 4/26)
St. Louis Public Radio: Trans Missourians Are 'Terrified' By Gender-Affirming Care Ban
With Missouri on the brink of becoming the first state to implement sweeping restrictions on gender-affirming care for adults, transgender people and doctors in the state are warning that discarding years of established health care practices will put patients' lives at risk. “At this point, I'm terrified,” said Axel Pollack, 24, who began his own gender-affirming care in September through a Washington University gender clinic in Creve Coeur. (Wicentowski and Fentem, 4/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Justice Department Sues To Block Tennessee Restrictions On Transgender Healthcare
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Tennessee’s recent ban on certain healthcare for transgender minors, arguing the law violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. The suit targets a law signed last month by Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Under the measure, doctors are prohibited from providing certain treatments to anyone under 18 even with parental consent if the procedure is used as part of transgender healthcare. (Timms, 4/26)
NPR: Trans Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr Punished By Montana Republicans
Republicans, who dominate the Montana House of Representatives, have voted Wednesday to formally punish Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr. Zephyr, who is transgender, has been blocked from speaking since last week. That's when she told supporters of a bill to ban gender-affirming care that when they bowed their heads in prayer, she hoped they would see "blood on [their] hands." She says she was alluding to studies that show that transgender health care can reduce suicidality in youth. (Ragar and Squires, 4/26)
The Baltimore Sun: Activists Demand Changes To Gender Identity Policies At Maryland Correctional Facilities: ‘It’s A Scary Place To Be’
Activists took to the streets in downtown Baltimore late Wednesday afternoon to call on state corrections officials to revise policies that affect transgender people who are detained in state facilities. At the rally led by Baltimore Safe Haven, a local outreach organization that provides support services for members of the trans community, advocates cited concerns over violence and safety as reasons for reform in the state’s corrections department, demanding updated rules governing how state-run facilities assign housing to trans people. (Belson and Lora, 4/27)
Also —
The New York Times: California Reconsiders Its Boycotts Of States Over Their L.G.B.T.Q. Laws
On Tuesday, San Francisco — a bastion of gay and transgender inclusion — repealed its boycott, which had expanded to encompass 30 states that had passed laws targeting L.G.B.T.Q. rights or that had passed abortion restrictions or laws deemed to suppress voters. Unlike California’s ban, the city ordinance had gone beyond travel and prohibited business dealings with identified states. (Cowan, 4/26)
