A Missouri judge upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors Monday, a victory for opponents of the practice in a continuing nationwide battle over transgender issues.

A Missouri court on Monday upheld a state law banning gender-affirming health care for minors and prohibiting Medicaid from covering transition-related care, allowing the controversial law to remain in place following a nine-day trial in September.

A Missouri court on Monday upheld a new state law that bans some gender-affirming health care for minors, a victory for supporters of the ban as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a case on the issue next week.

A Missouri judge has upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and some adults in the state, citing outdated studies and the errant belief that the science behin

The judge also suggested that treating gender dysphoria could be a slippery slope to depriving the Missouri legislature of its ability to regulate drugs.

JEFFERSON CITY — A Missouri judge on Monday upheld a 2023 state law that prohibits physicians from providing hormone treatment and puberty blockers to transgender youth. The $570 million project, which received incentives Tuesday from both the city and state, has strong backing from the federal government.

The law, which was signed in 2023, prohibits Missouri health care providers from providing puberty blockers, hormones and gender-affirming surgeries to minors.

Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Missouri, representing the families and organizations suing to challenge the ban, plan to appeal.

The judge said heaping piles of witness testimony and evidence stacked in the courtroom were really better suited for legislators or medical experts to sort out.