Bans on best-practice medical care represent one of the most extreme and coordinated political attacks on transgender people in recent years. These bills target transgender youth by blocking their access to best-practice medical care, care that is backed by years of rigorous research and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and other leading health authorities. These bills not only display a fundamental lack of understanding of transgender children, but they also ban access to medical care often by criminalizing either the doctors or even the parents of transgender youth seeking to provide best-practice medicine for children in their care.
For more on these efforts, including how these attacks have become more extreme over time,
read MAP's 2023 spotlight report.
*Notes (and see the "Citations" tab or click "Citations & More Information" below the map legend for more information about every state):
-Arizona banned surgical care for transgender minors in 2022, but in 2023 a new governor issued an executive order with "shield" style protections for transgender health care that is still legal in the state. Go to the transgender healthcare "shield" Equality Map to learn more about these laws.
-Texas: In August 2023, a state court temporarily blocked the state's ban from being enforced. However, the state's attorney general appealed the decision, which in Texas automatically pauses the temporary block--meaning that the state's ban went into effect as planned on September 1, 2023.
-Multiple states have "grandfather" clauses, "weaning off" clauses, or limited exceptions for some transgender youth and/or for some types of medication. Click "Citations" to read more detail about each bill or to access the law's language directly.
-Yellow caution icons refer to other efforts attempting to limit or ban health care for transgender youth, such as non-legislative actions. This does not refer to bills introduced: as of April 2023, nearly 4 out of 5 states have introduced these bills. As of June 2023, any state that has taken a non-legislative action has now also passed a legislative ban. See the "Citations" tab or click "Citations & More Information" below the map legend for more information about every state. (These each link to the same document.)
Bans Permanently Blocked
The following laws are permanently blocked from being enforced, though appeals may be ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care.
-Arkansas: In June 2023, a federal judge permanently blocked the state's 2021 ban, ruling it unconstitutional. However, the state has said it will appeal the ruling, and the state also passed a new law in 2023 (effective 90 days after the legislature adjourns) that will allow individuals who receive gender-affirming care as minors (or the family members of those minors) to sue their medical providers for malpractice, among other provisions. The 2023 permanent block builds on an earlier temporary block issued in July 2021.
Bans Temporarily Blocked (In Full or In Part)
The following laws are at least partially blocked from being enforced, though these court cases are still ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care to the extent each of these blocks allow.
-Florida, fully blocked: In June 2023, a federal judge temporarily blocked the state's ban on youth's care from being enforced while the lawsuit continues. The provisions restricting adult access to care are still being challenged.
-Montana, fully blocked: In Sept 2023, a state district court temporarily blocked the state's ban on youth's care from being enforced while the lawsuit continues.
-Alabama, partially blocked: In May 2022, a federal judge temporarily blocked the state's ban on medication from being enforced, though the ban on surgical care or other provisions, including the forced outing of transgender students in schools, went into effect. In August 2023, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that temporary block, but because LGBTQ advocates are appealing that decision, the temporary block will remain in place as the court case continues. This means transgender youth should still be able to access prescribed medication at this time.
-Indiana, partially blocked: In June 2023, a federal judge temporarily blocked the parts of the state's law that bans medication for transgender youth and "aiding or abetting" the provision of this medically necessary health care. The ban on surgical care for minors went into effect on July 1, 2023.
Bans Not Yet In Effect
The following laws are not yet in effect, and youth should still be able to access care until the laws go into effect. Additionally, multiple states have "grandfather" clauses, "weaning off" clauses, or limited exceptions for some transgender youth and/or medication. Click the "Citations" tab above to read more detail about each bill or to access the law's language directly.
-Idaho: HB71 (2023) does not go into effect until January 1, 2024.
-Louisiana: HB648 (2023) does not go into effect until January 1, 2024.
-West Virginia: HB2007 (2023) does not go into effect until January 1, 2024. The law also contains some exceptions for hormone-related medication for youth under certain circumstances and requirements. Click "Citations" or go to the bill text directly to learn more.
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. "Equality Maps: Bans on Best Practice Medical Care for Transgender Youth."
https://www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/healthcare/youth_medical_care_bans. Accessed [day of access].
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the transgender youth (ages 13-17) population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of transgender youth in the U.S. territories or under age 13 are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.
33 % of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that ban best practice medication and surgical care for transgender youth
2 % of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that ban best practice surgical care for transgender youth
65 % of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that do not ban best practice medical care for transgender youth
0 % of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that have taken steps to ban or restrict best practice medical care for transgender youth, but state law does not ban this care (see note beneath map)
| State | Bans on Medical Care for Transgender Youth |
| Citations | |
| Alabama | State does not have this law |
| Alaska | |
| American Samoa | |
| Arizona | State does not have this law |
| Arkansas | State does not have this law |
| California | |
| Colorado | |
| Connecticut | |
| Delaware | |
| District of Columbia | |
| Florida | State does not have this law |
| Georgia | State does not have this law |
| Guam | |
| Hawaii | |
| Idaho | State does not have this law |
| Illinois | |
| Indiana | State does not have this law |
| Iowa | State does not have this law |
| Kansas | |
| Kentucky | State does not have this law |
| Louisiana | State does not have this law |
| Maine | |
| Maryland | |
| Massachusetts | |
| Michigan | |
| Minnesota | |
| Mississippi | State does not have this law |
| Missouri | State does not have this law |
| Montana | State does not have this law |
| Nebraska | State does not have this law |
| Nevada | |
| New Hampshire | |
| New Jersey | |
| New Mexico | |
| New York | |
| North Carolina | State does not have this law |
| North Dakota | State does not have this law |
| Northern Mariana Islands | |
| Ohio | |
| Oklahoma | State does not have this law |
| Oregon | |
| Pennsylvania | |
| Puerto Rico | |
| Rhode Island | |
| South Carolina | |
| South Dakota | State does not have this law |
| Tennessee | State does not have this law |
| Texas | State does not have this law |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | |
| Utah | State does not have this law |
| Vermont | |
| Virginia | |
| Washington | |
| West Virginia | State does not have this law |
| Wisconsin | |
| Wyoming |
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Founded in 2006, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is an independent, nonprofit think tank that provides rigorous research, insight and communications that help speed equality and opportunity for all.
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