Highlights:
2023: Burgum Signed A Bill Into Law That Made It A Crime To Give Gender-Affirming Care To People Under 18. According to the Associated Press, “North Dakota’s Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill into law that restricts transgender health care in the state, immediately making it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18. Gender-affirming care for minors has been available in the U.S. for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations, but it has increasingly come under attack in many conservative legislatures, including North Dakota’s, where lawmakers have passed at least three anti-trans bills this year.” [Associated Press, 4/20/23]
Burgum Said The Law Was Intended To “Protect Children From The Life-Altering Ramifications” Of Gender-Affirming Care. According to the Associated Press, “In a statement released Thursday morning, Burgum said the law is ‘aimed at protecting children from the life-altering ramifications of gender reassignment surgeries’ but he added that medical professionals have testified these surgeries have not been and are not being performed on minors in North Dakota. He said the law still allows medication treatment for early onset puberty and other rare circumstances with parental consent, and minors currently receiving gender-affirming care will still be able to receive treatment.” [Associated Press, 4/20/23]
The Food And Drug Administration Approved Puberty Blockers And Synthetic Sex Hormones Decades Ago. According to the Associated Press, “The Food and Drug Administration approved puberty blockers 30 years ago to treat children with precocious puberty — a condition that causes sexual development to begin much earlier than usual. Sex hormones — synthetic forms of estrogen and testosterone — were approved decades ago to treat hormone disorders or as birth control pills.” [Associated Press, 4/20/23]
Research Has Shown Transgender Individuals Can Be Prone To Suicidal Behavior When Forced To Live As The Sex They Were Assigned. According to the Associated Press, “Research has shown that transgender youths and adults can be prone to suicidal behavior when forced to live as the sex they were assigned at birth. And critics of legislation to restrict gender-affirming care for children say it’s an attempt by conservatives to motivate their voting base.” [Associated Press, 4/20/23]
2023: Burgum Signed Legislation In North Dakota To Bar Transgender Girls And Women From Joining Female Sports Teams From Kindergarten Through College. According to the New York Times, “North Dakota on Tuesday night became the latest state to bar transgender girls and women from joining female sports teams, starting from kindergarten and all the way through college. The new restrictions in North Dakota, which were signed by Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, came less than a week after the Biden administration weighed in on the charged debate over transgender athletes.” [New York Times, 4/12/23]
Burgum Acknowledged He Knew Of No Instances Of Transgender Girls Asking To Play On Teams In North Dakota, But That The Legislature Was Adamant About The Need For Additional Restrictions. According to the New York Times, “In a statement Tuesday night accompanying the two bills he signed — one covering K-12, the other college athletes — Mr. Burgum said that he still knew of no instances of transgender girls asking to play on a team. But, he acknowledged that the Legislature had ‘resoundingly determined’ there should be additional restrictions. ‘We have confidence that school districts will continue working to ensure all students have the opportunity to compete in athletics, and that North Dakota is a place where common-sense fairness and compassion can co-exist,’ he said in a statement Tuesday night.” [New York Times, 4/12/23]
2023: Burgum Signed Legislation Into Law That Required Institutions Of Higher Education To Designate Sports As “Male,” “Female,” Or “Coed” And Prohibited Adverse Action For Such A Separation. In April 2023, Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1489 into law. The bill, according to the North Dakota Legislature, “create[d] and enact[ed] chapter 15-10.6 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to requiring institutions of higher education designating athletic teams and sports for male, female, or coed participation. [...] A government entity, a licensing or accrediting organization, or an athletic association or organization may not entertain a complaint, open an investigation, or take any other adverse action against an institution for maintaining separate intercollegiate or intramural athletic teams or sports for students of the female sex.” [North Dakota Legislature, accessed 6/14/24; North Dakota Legislature, H.B. 1489]
2023: Burgum Signed Bill That Prohibited Public Schools And Government Entities From Requiring Teachers And Employees To Refer To Transgender People By The Pronouns They Use. According to the Associated Press, “North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum has signed a bill that prohibits public schools and government entities from requiring teachers and employees to refer to transgender people by the pronouns they use, the governor’s office announced Monday.” [Associated Press, 5/8/23]
The Legislation Also Required Teachers To Tell Parents If The Student Identified As Transgender. According to the Associated Press, “The new law also requires teachers to tell a parent or legal guardian if the student identifies as transgender.” [Associated Press, 5/8/23]
2023: Burgum Signed A Bill That Prohibited Transgender Students From Using The Bathroom Of Their Choice Without Prior Parental Approval. According to the Associated Press, “It prohibits transgender students from using the bathroom of their choice without prior approval from a parent or guardian.” [Associated Press, 5/8/23]
2023: Burgum Signed Into Law Legislation That Required Dorm Bathrooms And Showers To Be Designated For Either Exclusively Males Or Exclusively Females. In April 2023, Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1473 into law. The bill, according to the North Dakota Legislature, “created and enacted as follows: Restrooms and shower rooms exclusively for males or exclusively for females. 1. In a dormitory or living facility controlled by an institution under the control of the state board of higher education, a restroom or shower room accessible by multiple residents at the same time must be designated for use exclusively for males or exclusively for females. 2. In a dormitory or living facility controlled by an institution under the control of the state board of higher education, a restroom or shower room designated for one sex may be used only by members of that sex. 3. This section applies to a dormitory or a dormitory floor in which residents are segregated by sex or gender. 4. A dormitory administrator or dormitory staff member shall provide a reasonable accommodation for a resident, including a transgender or gender-nonconforming resident, as deemed appropriate by the director of residence life. This section does not prohibit a dormitory administrator or dormitory staff member from entering a restroom or shower room designated for the opposite sex in the course of official employment duties.” [North Dakota Legislature, accessed 6/17/24; North Dakota Legislature, H.B. 1473]