(CNN) Advocacy groups sued the Missouri attorney general on Monday after announcing an “emergency rule” restricting transgender care for minors and adults — a rule expected to take effect this week, his office announced this month.
Gender affirming care Medically necessaryEvidence-based care that uses a multidisciplinary approach to help a person transition from their assigned gender — the gender assigned at birth — to their confirmed gender, the gender they want to know.
New reign People often undergo “life-changing interventions” such as puberty suppression or sex reassignment surgery “without any talk therapy,” and say emergency action is “required by compelling government interest and the need to protect public health.” Safety and Welfare of Missourians”.
Among other conditions, the provision states that it is “unlawful” for individuals or health care providers to provide gender-affirming care. , a persistent and intense pattern of gender dysphoria.”
The rule takes effect Thursday and expires Feb. 6, 2024, according to a press release from Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office.
The petitioners sued to stop the provision, asking the Circuit Court of St. Louis County to declare it invalid “because the Attorney General lacks statutory authority to promulgate it,” among other legal arguments. Advocacy groups Representing Southampton Community Health in St. Louis and many other providers and patients.
“The rule targets gender-affirming care with unprecedented and unique restrictions, effectively barring the provision of this necessary, safe and effective care to many transgender people in Missouri,” the petition said.
The suit seeks a stay of the rule’s expected Thursday start date and an award of reasonable fees and costs and any other relief the court deems just and proper, the petition states.
CNN has reached out to Bailey’s office for comment.
Office of the Attorney General said Earlier Monday the restriction was “based on dozens of scientific studies and reports, which are cited in the endnotes.”
One organization that focuses on issues in transgender health is the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and one of them SubsidiariesThe United States Professional Association for Transgender Health said the rule was based on “flawed reporting.”
“The emergency regulation issued by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is based on manipulated statistics, flawed reporting and incomplete data and prevents the delivery of medically necessary care,” the associations said. said last monthA reaction Previous notification From Bailey’s office about the upcoming regulation.
In a petition filed Monday, transgender patients at Southampton Community Healthcare, one of the plaintiffs, “expressed to its providers that they feared they would be denied continuation of hormone therapy if they shared symptoms of other mental health issues.”
“Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s emergency order is a baseless and discriminatory attempt to limit health care options for transgender people, who already face many barriers to accessing necessary and life-saving medical care,” said Dr. Samuel Dochtrop of Southampton Community Healthcare. Report. “It is our privilege at Southampton Community Health to fight this rule on behalf of transgender Missourians.”
The president and CEO of LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD called the move “an unprecedented attempt to control an entire group of people.”
“The rule issued by Missouri’s attorney general contains complete lies and lies about best practice care supported by every major medical association,” said Sarah Kate Ellis. In a news release. “This is an unprecedented attempt to restrict an entire team from making medical decisions to live and thrive.”
“Health care decisions should be between patients, their doctors and their loved ones — not at the discretion of politicians looking to score political points,” Ellis said. “GLAAD sends our support to our corporate partners and activists in Missouri who are working hard to quickly overturn this unconstitutional order. Transgender-owned, this rule will not stand.”
Missouri has taken action after North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill into law this week. Prohibiting gender-affirming care For most minors, a felony is possible for the health care professionals who provide it. Indiana and Idaho passed their own bans on gender-affirming care for youth this month, and several states have signed into law restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. Last few years.
CNN’s David Close contributed to this report.
