Commentary

Open Letter to North Dakota Leaders: We Stand With Trans Youth

Open Letter to North Dakota Leaders: We Stand With Trans Youth

On September 17, 2026, the North Dakota Supreme Court issued a decision in T.D. v. Wrigley, upholding the state’s cruel, medically indefensible ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. 

In light of this decision, over 300 organizations and individuals signed an open letter to our state’s lawmakers and community leaders.

Read the full letter below & take action with us:


To North Dakota’s Lawmakers and Community Leaders,

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, stand in support of transgender youth in North Dakota — and the families, doctors, and communities who love and care for them.

In T.D. v. Wrigley, the North Dakota Supreme Court was asked to decide whether the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth violates the North Dakota Constitution’s promise that every person is “by nature equally free and independent.” The ban threatens physicians with up to 360 days in prison and $3,000 in fines simply for providing care that major medical associations across the country, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, recognize as safe, effective, and often medically necessary.

One thing is clear: North Dakota’s transgender youth are being used as political targets. And that has to stop.

North Dakotans agree. A 2024 statewide survey found that 93% of North Dakota adults believe the government has no business interfering in the private lives of transgender and nonbinary people, and 71% say parents of trans and nonbinary kids should be able to access the health care and counseling their families need. These are not fringe values. They are North Dakota values.

Transgender youth deserve what every child in this state deserves: to be safe, to be supported by their communities, and to receive compassionate, evidence-based care. Their families deserve the freedom to make medical decisions in consultation with their doctors, not their legislators.

We call on North Dakota’s lawmakers to stop targeting transgender youth and to reject policies that treat any child as less deserving of dignity, health care, and belonging. We call on community leaders — in schools, houses of worship, businesses, and beyond — to make clear that transgender youth are welcome, valued, and supported in your communities.

North Dakota’s founding promise of freedom and equality belongs to everyone. We urge you to act like it.

Sincerely,

ACLU of North Dakota

Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains

Enlightened Beauty

Fargo-Moorhead Pride

Global Justice Center

Inalienable Rights Coalition

Magic City Equality

North Dakota Human Rights Coalition

PFLAG North Dakota

Prairie Action North Dakota

Prairie Solidarity 

Red River Rainbow Seniors

St Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Fargo

Stonewall Sports Fargo 

Unitarian Universalist Church of Fargo Moorhead

Willmar Pride

World Without Genocide


Mike Abler

Montana Ackman

Ann Agrimson

bernardo Alayza Mujica

Jennifer Alonso

Koda Alps

Linda Amspaugh

Leigh Anderson

Sherri Armitage

Susan Babbitt

Alex Bacon

Robert Baer

Corey Baesler

Constance Bailey

Laurie Baker

Sharon Baker

Susan Balaban

Reverend Debra Ball-Kilbourne

Meagan Barbie

Cherine Bauer

Trinity Bauer

Jesse Bearheart

frank belcastro

Kellan Benson 

Abbie Berstein

Lee Bible

Sara Bible

Jessica Birschbach

Kate Bodelson

Kenna Bolton Holz

Tika Bordelon

Kathy Bradley

William Brandt

Cathy Breiner

A.J Brown

Meagan Burgad

Adam Burkman

Anneta Buster

Arnie Cable

Laci Cable

Lee Cable

Loretta Cantieri

Wyatt Carlson

Julie Chattopadhyay

Catherine Chilton-Werner

Laure Chinofsky

AJ cho

Mary Lee Clarens

Travis Clark

J Clarke

Phylis Cohen

Sandy Commons

John M Concannon

adam cornford

Theresa Corrigan

Robert Costa 

Jeanne Crawford

Kira Crowley

Carol Currier-Frighetto

Romona Czichos-Slaughter

Lynn Davenport

Andrea Delzer

Jim Derzon

David Dexter

Carolyn Disch

Janice Dlugosz

Bob Dobbs

Diane Dobitz

Jacoba Dolloff

Kate Dotson

Thomas Dressler

Michelle Drewlow Zimmerman

Cheryl Eames

Jalene Eden

Abigail Eidsness

Diane Eisenhower

Elizebeth Enright

Dalton Erickson 

Jacob Erickson

Natalie Evensen

June Fahrmann

Tyler Fahy

James Falcon

Dylan Faldet

Tracy Feldman

Gloria Fooks

Jasmine Fooks

Jubilee Fowler

Lauren Fox

Dave Frank

Naomi Franek

Megan Fuller

Michael Fuller

Virginia Garski

sheriill gary 

Derek Gendvil

Jaime Gher

Rebecca Glass

Joan Goodfellow

Patricia Goodson

Tammy Green

Allison Greenwald

Lois Griffiths

Jason Grindeland

Kassandra Gutierrez

Jo Haberman

Alex Hagen

Michael Halderman

Kim Hall

Ramona Hallick

Paddy Hammon

Sandy Hardwick-Pettis

Emily Harmon

Jackson Harper 

Scott Heidinger

Stephen Heiland

Harvey Hild

Anita Hoffarth

Jescia Hopper

Virginia Huber

Kieran Huck

Maggie Hughes

Noa Iacob

Dave Iosue

Nadia Jaeger

Bruce Johnson

Kaitlyn Johnson

Roy Johnson

Susan Jordan 

Kari Jorgensen

Ron Jyrng

Amelia Kauweloa

Josh Keene

Ellen Kennedy

Scott Kennedy

Meredith Kent-Berman

Ron Kinzler

Mikayla Kludt

Azul Kmiecik

Scott Korman

Kathy Kramer MD

Shannon Krueger

Daniel Kuperus

Susan Kutz

Heidi Lang

Lynn C. Lang

Edward Larson

Loni Larson

Corinne Lee

Asheley LeFors

Chelle LeMier

Jody Lewis

Andrew Lifson

Dawn Lillis

Emily Lindell 

Elaine Livingston

Judith Livingstone

Caitlin Long

Kate Long

Jim Loveland

Denise Lytle

bree m. 

Sandra M.

Megan MacFarlane

Lucas Marra

Kim Mason

Geronimo Mato

Heather May

Margaret Mayer

Gail McMullen

Michelle Meek

Jeanette Mefford

Karl Meyer

Mildred Meyer

Matther Miller

Erin Moilanen

Sofia Montemayor-Thomas

Lawrence Montford

Colby Montigue 

Sarah Moulton

Lauren Murdock

Reese Murray

Kayla Nayes 

Nancy Neary

Margie Nelson

Patricia Nelson

Sarah Nelson

Madison Neumann

Lucas Neville

Yoko Nomura

Carlos Nunez

Rebecca Oberlin

Debbie Olive

Donna Olsen

Dogan ozkan

Regan Palmer

Amber Parnow

Father Jaime Parsley

Tyra Pellerin

Mary Perez

Rix Peterson

Scott R. Peterson

Justin Phillipps

John Phillips

Christopher Pieske

Anna Pikala

janna piper 

Mariah Ralston

Patrick Ramsey

Connie Raper

Jennifer Reinbold

Evan Rentschler

Allison Reynolds

Julie Ricy

Nathan Riel-Elness

Philip Ritter

Namaste Robbins

Janet Roberts

Eric Robinson

Michael T. Rock

Dr. Joan Rodman

Olive Ryg

Karen Sanderson

Kelsey Schlag

Ellie Schmidt

Jay Schmuhl

Kristine Schroeder 

Cody Schuler

Mary Shaughnessy

Lenore Shiner

Joe Shiroky

George Shrewsbury

Barbara Sickles

Selena Sifontes

Joyce Simonds

Nadia Sindi

Cassie Skauge

Julie Skelton 

Traci Slane

Hannah Sleath

William Smart

Deidra Smith

Jaszmene Smith

Patrick Smith

Gayle Solomon

Jack Stansfield

Mindy Steinholz

Michelle Steinwand

Richard Stern 

Makenzie Marie Stockwell

Rachel Sudneen

Steve T.

Cornelia Teed

Brita Thielen

Jae Thom

Andrew Thompson 

Cassidy Thompson

Shaydora Todd

Nicole Tollefson

Jeanne Tweedy

Nell Ubbelohde

MaryAnn VandeVusse

Naomi W. 

Mary Walker

Patrice Wallace

Kevin Walsh

Jennifer Walter

Harold Watson 

Ann Wells

Megan Wieczorek

Allison Wieser

Duncan Williamson

Dallas Windham

Bonnie Winter

Janet Wolfe

Annie Wood

Alexis Yoder

Julie Young Walser

Russel Ziegler


Alex 

bree 

Daniel 

Jalene 

Jesse 

Jesse 

Kate 

Kate 

Kyle 

Max 

McKinna 

Sandy 

Scott 

Suzanne 


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