Judge blocks Kansas ban on gender-transition treatment for minors

Source: Reuters

May 16, 2026 6:58 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


NEW YORK, May 16 (Reuters) - A Kansas judge has temporarily blocked a law banning gender-transition treatments for minors in the state.

State District Judge Carl Folsom III ​granted an injunction requested by the parents of two teenagers ‌who want to continue gender-transition treatment with medicines. Folsom's decision halts the enforcement of a recently approved state law that banned such treatments.

In a ruling Friday, the judge ​sided with the teens' parents who sued to halt the law, ​saying they had the right to make decisions regarding the ⁠health of their children, according to court documents and a statement ​from the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the plaintiffs.

"This is an ​enormous relief to our clients and families across the state of Kansas," ACLU attorney Harper Seldin said in a statement.
Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach plans to appeal the ​decision, according to local media reports. If Folsom's injunction is upheld, ​it would last for the duration of the lawsuit. Kobach, a Republican, called the ruling “a stark ‌example ⁠of judicial activism,” according to The New York Times.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge-blocks-kansas-ban-gender-transition-treatment-minors-2026-05-16/