Columbia, South Carolina – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a multistate legal effort backing North Dakota’s law that bans s*x-change procedures for minors, adding South Carolina’s voice to a growing national fight over how states may regulate medical treatments involving children.
Wilson joined a 22-state friend-of-the-court brief filed with the North Dakota Supreme Court. The brief supports North Dakota’s position that such procedures should not be available to children and argues that elected state lawmakers have the authority to set rules for medical practice within their states.
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At the center of the case is North Dakota’s law restricting s*x-change procedures for minors. North Dakota is one of several states that have moved to pass similar measures, saying the issue involves long-term health consequences and should be handled through state policy. The states supporting North Dakota argue that the decision belongs to the people’s representatives, not outside groups or organizations shaping medical standards.
The brief specifically challenges the influence of politically motivated organizations such as the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, known as WPATH. According to the states’ argument, legislatures should be allowed to regulate medicine when they determine that certain procedures may expose children to serious and lasting harm.
“Banning s*x-change procedures for children is common-sense policy,” Attorney General Wilson stated. “Protecting children from severe and permanent harm should be the chief aim of every state in the country.”
Wilson’s participation in the North Dakota case follows his previous involvement in similar legal battles. His office has defended a comparable law in South Carolina. He also joined a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Tennessee’s law, a case that later led to the United States v. Skrmetti decision before the U.S. Supreme Court.
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The Alabama-led brief brought together attorneys general from across the country. In addition to South Carolina, the states joining the filing are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The case now places North Dakota’s law before the state’s highest court, with supporters arguing that states must be able to act when they believe children are at risk of permanent harm. Wilson’s office said the brief is part of that broader effort to defend state authority and support laws aimed at protecting minors.
