The political climate in conservative states is intensifying as lawmakers consider banning gender affirming medical care for young people. Despite the endorsement of such treatments by major medical associations, lawmakers in Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota are considering bills that would prohibit gender affirming treatments, including puberty-blocking drugs and hormones. In Utah, the Republican governor recently signed a similar ban into law.
As these bills make their way through the legislative process, hundreds of people descended on the state Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska to protest a measure that would prohibit gender affirming medical procedures for those 19 and younger. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, a bill carries hefty penalties for medical professionals who violate the ban, including potential felony charges, civil liability, and loss of medical license. The state’s Senate Rules Committee also passed a companion bill that would prevent the use of any public funds to entities or organizations that provide such care.
Transgender people, particularly school-aged individuals, have become increasingly targeted by lawmakers in conservative states, with laws prohibiting them from playing on sports teams or using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity. Medical providers in South Dakota have expressed their concern over the state’s lack of medical expertise to provide gender affirming care to minors, questioning the validity of the bill’s scientific data.
As these bills continue to be debated, the trans rights community remains steadfast in their opposition, calling for the protection of best-practice medical care for transgender people of all ages.
