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Missouri officials struck back at one of the clinics that unsuccessfully challenged new state restrictions on gender affirming care, accusing the clinic in a lawsuit of failing to provide proper care for transgender minors even before the new law took effect. Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced the counter lawsuit against St. Louis-based Southampton Community Healthcare on Sunday, two days after it was filed in court. (Funk, 9/24)

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit against a healthcare company last week after it provided puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors without a mental health assessment, as required by state law before sex reassignments were banned. On Aug. 28, Missouri’s Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act was implemented as law in the state. After the law was passed, Bailey’s office sent a letter to providers across Missouri, warning them to stop providing experimental treatment on treatment immediately. (Wehner, 9/24)

The new laws include legislation that focuses on support for LGBTQ+ youth. One law sets timelines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff, while another creates an advisory task force to determine the needs of LGBTQ+ students and help advance supportive initiatives. A third requires families to show that they can and are willing to meet the needs of a child in foster care regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. (9/24)

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California vetoed a bill on Friday that would instruct judges presiding over custody battles in the state to take into consideration a parent’s support for a child’s gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions. Why It Matters: The veto signals a break from the governor’s stance in support of transgender rights. In a letter accompanying his veto on Friday, Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, said that while he he shares “a deep commitment” to advancing transgender rights, he urged caution about making legal standards “in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic.” (Betts, 9/24)

The Supreme Court returns next week for a new term that experts think could yield landmark decisions on medication abortion and gender-affirming care. Should the justices decide to take up the cases this term, rulings on either issue would likely come before summer 2024, as the presidential race enters the home stretch. (Bettelheim and Millman, 9/25)

Uruguay, Luxembourg, Brazil, Norway, Colombia, Malta and Chile are the countries that best uphold the human rights of their LGBTQ+ citizens, according to a report released last week. Conspicuously off that list? The United States, which scored a C  or “persecuting” grade when it comes to LGBTQ+ human rights on the Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers Report. The annual study, conducted by a partnership led by Franklin & Marshall College, delves into a country’s policies and as well as climate. It gave more than half of the world — 62 percent — an F. (Sosin, 9/22)