In the latest move by conservative states to limit the rights of transgender youth, the Indiana Republican state senators voted on Tuesday to pass a ban on all gender-affirming care for minors. The bill proposes banning vital care such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers, which witnesses argue are often life-saving for trans kids. Despite opposition from witnesses and Democrats, the bill passed the Senate 36-12, sparking concerns about the lives and rights of trans kids.
Proponents of the legislation have expressed concerns about gender-transition surgeries taking place in the state, which the bill would also ban. The only Indiana hospital that performs such procedures informed senators that doctors typically do not refer minors for such surgeries. Republican lawmakers who support the bill cite concerns that hormone therapy treatments are irreversible, an idea medical providers have challenged. They argue that a child cannot fully comprehend the weight and permanency of such decisions, and given the pressures put on parents, there is no such thing as true informed consent.
Indiana’s legislative session has been largely focused on LGBTQ issues, particularly those affecting schools and young people. Lawmakers approved a bill last week that would require public school teachers to inform parents about students’ social transitions and pronoun changes. Trans students in K-12 schools have also been a point of focus for Indiana legislators this session. With similar laws blocked in Arkansas and Alabama, the proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors in Indiana is part of a larger trend of extensive measures against LGBTQ individuals that state lawmakers are approving this year. The Human Rights Campaign has reported that state lawmakers in the U.S. have introduced at least 150 bills affecting transgender people this year, the most ever.
Critics have expressed concerns that the House proposal, which the Senate could take up, would erode student-teacher trust and force children to come out to their parents prematurely. Indiana state lawmakers also pushed ahead with a separate bill on Tuesday that would remove a legal defense for public school libraries when educators are accused of distributing texts harmful to students, which some say could lead to banning books that explore racism or LGBTQ issues. Republican Sen. Jim Tomes, the bill’s author, defended his legislation by citing several books, including “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, that he says contain obscene material. However, critics argue that such measures could undermine free speech and limit access to important resources for students.
