Missouri judge denies effort to block law restricting health care for transgender youth

The ruling from St. Louis-based Judge Steven Ohmer means the new Missouri law restricting puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender transition surgery for minors will go into effect on Monday.
A St. Louis judge has denied an attempt to prevent a new law barring gender affirming care for transgender youth from going into effect.

Earlier this summer, a number of plaintiffs sued to block the law barring transgender minors from accessing things like puberty blockers and hormone therapy. They contended, among other things, that the law violated state guarantees of equal protection.

But in a ruling released on Friday afternoon, St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer denied a request for a preliminary injunction. That means the new law will go into effect on Monday while the case is heard.

Ohmer wrote that the plaintiffs’ “position in regard to constitutional violations is unpersuasive and not likely to succeed” and that “the science and medical evidence is conflicting and unclear.”

“The court further finds that petitioners have not clearly shown a sufficient probability of success on the merits to justify the grant of a preliminary injunction,” Ohmer wrote. “Petitioners have not clearly shown a sufficient threat of irreparable injury absent injunctive relief. The balance between the harm to petitioners and injury to others does not clearly weigh in favor of granting a preliminary injunction.”