The Real Priorities of North Dakotans Are Being Ignored

By Megan Peterson, executive director at Gender Justice

This opinion piece was originally published by the North Dakota Monitor on May 8, 2025. It is reprinted here with full permission.

While state lawmakers spent the 2025 session debating who can use which bathroom and read what books, North Dakotans were saying something very different: they want affordable child care, paid family leave, and the freedom to live their lives in peace.

But the Legislature didn’t deliver any of that. In fact, they did the exact opposite — doubling down on divisive political fights that don’t reflect the real needs or values of North Dakotans.

Gender Justice has been working alongside North Dakotans for several years, listening, learning, and standing with community members directly impacted by harmful laws. We’ve challenged two of the most extreme: one that bans nearly all abortions and threatens doctors with criminal charges, and another that criminalizes medical providers who offer proven, often life-saving health care to transgender youth.

We brought these lawsuits because these laws violate the state constitution, inflict real harm, and set a dangerous precedent — one where the government inserts itself into the most personal aspects of our lives and overrides decisions that belong to families, patients, and medical professionals.

Still, we knew we had to go beyond the courtroom. So last fall, we commissioned a statewide poll to hear directly from North Dakotans — across the political spectrum — about what they want their elected leaders to focus on, and how they view their transgender and nonbinary neighbors, coworkers and loved ones.

What we found was clear: North Dakotans are compassionate, fair-minded people who want real solutions — not fear mongering fueled by multi-million dollar campaigns designed to divide us.

The vast majority of North Dakotans support policies like making child care more affordable (84%), expanding access to affordable housing (80%), paid family and medical leave (76%), and increasing funding for public schools (76%). But this session, lawmakers did not do enough to meaningfully address those needs. Instead, they pushed more bills targeting trans youth, tried to undermine marriage equality and blocked widely supported initiatives, like free school meals for kids.

When it comes to transgender and nonbinary North Dakotans, our poll confirms what we’ve long known: most people want everyone to be treated with dignity and respect.

An overwhelming 91% of North Dakotans agree the government should stay out of transgender people’s private business. Eighty-four percent believe everyone should have the same rights and freedoms, regardless of gender expression. Three in four say trans people should be allowed to be who they are, and 71% support parents’ ability to access health care and counseling for their transgender and nonbinary children.

These are not the views of a fringe minority. These are the beliefs of everyday North Dakotans.

So why is the Legislature so out of step with the people it’s supposed to represent?

Because division is a distraction. When politicians stoke fear about transgender people, they’re not responding to any real crisis — they’re creating one. It’s easier to score political points by fear mongering about bathrooms and book bans than to do the real work of helping families care for sick loved ones, lower the cost of child care, or ensure every kid has a safe, stable place to learn.

When politicians use LGBTQ+ people — especially trans youth — as political scapegoats, it’s real families who pay the price. We know this because we’re representing them in court. Our clients are parents doing everything they can to support their kids in a state that has made that care a criminal issue. They’ve told us what it’s like to fear for their children’s safety, to carry the weight of stigma, and to feel abandoned by elected leaders who should have their backs.

But they’ve also shared something else: in towns large and small, from every corner of this state, they’ve experienced support from neighbors, friends, coaches, and teachers. That’s what makes these laws even more painful. Most North Dakotans want to live and let live. It’s politicians creating division, not our communities.

That’s why we’re here — and why we’re proud to be working alongside the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition and community partners to host The People’s Session on May 16. This community-led event is a space for North Dakotans to come together, share stories, talk about their priorities, and begin shaping a people-centered vision for the state’s future.

It’s an opportunity to refocus the conversation on what really matters: supporting working families, protecting personal freedoms, and building a state where everyone is treated fairly — no matter who they are. We know that future is possible — not because we’re guessing, but because North Dakotans told us what they want.

Now it’s time for the Legislature to listen.