Jefferson City, Missouri - A state judge has put a temporary stay on the Missouri attorney general's order that would essentially ban gender-affirming care for transgender and non-binary adults and youth.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo issued the order on Wednesday, just hours before state Attorney General Andrew Bailey's order was set to take effect.

The AG's emergency rule, issued earlier this month, aims to prohibit medical providers from providing gender-affirming health care unless stringent and unprecedented requirements are met. It was set to take effect on April 27 and expire in February 2024.

Under the AG's order, an individual, regardless of their age, would be required to undergo 18 months of therapy before receiving gender-affirming care. Providers would be required to prove that a patient has a "medically documented, long-lasting, persistent and intense pattern of gender dysphoria" for "at least the 3 most recent consecutive years" before seeking treatment.

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Ribaudo ordered a temporary stay until May 1 to allow the court to review briefs in the case.

At that time, the judge expects to have reached a decision on a motion for a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit seeking to strike down the emergency rule.

LGBTQ+ rights organizations celebrated Ribaudo's decision as the first step in their fight to protect trans and non-binary Missourians of all ages.

"We are grateful for the court’s decision to issue a temporary stay of the implementation of the Attorney General’s so-called 'emergency rule,' as it more fully considers our request for a temporary restraining order," the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and Lambda Legal said in a joint statement.

"No less than the health and wellbeing of thousands of transgender Missourians is at stake," they continued.

"While we welcome this temporary relief, we look forward to the judge ultimately preventing this rule from going into effect."