BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A trial in a lawsuit seeking to strike down North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors began Monday, more than a year after families of transgender children and a doctor filed the suit that argued the law violates the state’s constitution.

Brittany Stewart, right, delivers the opening statement for the plaintiffs at the beginning of a trial over North Dakota’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors on Jan. 27, 2025. Jess Braverman, another attorney for the plaintiffs,

Attorneys will debate whether a 2023 law banning gender-affirming treatment for anyone under 18 violates personal autonomy and equal protection rights under the state constitution.

The eight-day trial will consist of personal testimony from parents and children directly impacted and forced to travel to Minnesota to receive gender-affirming care.

Opening arguments begin today in a lawsuit challenging North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. The case stems from a law change the state legislature approved in 2023, mirroring action in other conservative-led states.