Utah is likely to become the first state to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors this year.
The Utah Senate on Friday approved a bill banning minors from undergoing gender-confirming surgery and indefinitely suspending access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
The bill, approved Thursday by the Utah House of Representatives, is forward-looking and says that minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria before May 3, 2023, the bill’s effective date, will be eligible if they meet a list of requirements. can continue to receive care.
The bill is now on the desk of Gov. Spencer Cox, who last year became the second Republican governor in the GOP to veto a bill banning transgender students from playing women’s sports.
In an emotional letter about his veto, Cox cites research on increased suicide risk among transgender youth and additional research that found acceptance reduces suicide risk. Did.
“I don’t understand what they’re going through or why they feel that way. But I want them to live,” he wrote. “And what all the research shows is that even a little bit of acceptance and connection can significantly reduce suicidal tendencies.”
But Cox told local news station Fox 13 on Thursday after the gender-affirming care ban passed the House of Representatives that he would not veto the bill. did not immediately respond to your request for comment.
Republican Sen. Michael Kennedy and his family doctor, who sponsored the bill, said at a hearing last week that gender-affirming treatments “lack sufficient long-term studies,” according to local radio station KUER. told a colleague.
“But our country is still seeing radical and dangerous pressure on children to participate in this version of health care,” he said.
State Senator Daniel Thatcher, one of Kennedy’s Republican colleagues, disagreed and last week was the only Republican senator to speak out against a similar but earlier version of the bill, KUER reported. While he and his colleagues may not understand gender-affirming care, “every trusted medical facility on the planet is the safest, best, and safest way to save their lives.” They say it’s the best care.”
Accredited medical organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychological Association have assisted in the care of minors.
Thatcher added that the bill could face legal problems because it only bans care for transgender people, but it could be necessary for other reasons. The bill does not ban intersex minors, premature puberty minors, or treatment for gender dysphoria. ” provides exemption for minors with grounds.
A judge stayed a similar law in Arkansas last year pending the outcome of a lawsuit. In doing so, attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union used grounds similar to Thatcher’s to argue that a ban on such care would be discriminatory.
Thatcher, who is recovering from multiple strokes, was absent from Friday’s Senate vote.
A crowd of protesters gathered outside the Utah State Capitol on Tuesday before a committee hearing on the bill.
Brie Martin, editor of West High School’s student newspaper, said gender-affirming care “is nothing short of saving lives,” reported The Salt Lake Tribune.
“I and my family have been saved from the arduous and arduous task of transitioning into adulthood,” Martin said. “I want to be clear that transitioning has always been the only option for me, even with the opposition. I deserve a body to be proud of.
The bill not only bans access to treatment for minors, but also requires state professional licensing offices to produce certification for those who provide hormone therapy to minors. , requires “at least 40 hours of education related to minor transgender health care from an approved organization,” which providers must obtain before continuing to provide such treatment. .
It also directs the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a systematic review of the medical evidence regarding hormonal transgender treatment and provide recommendations to Congress, but after the review is completed, Congress will There is no need to reconsider the indefinite moratorium. .
The bill also allows a minor to sue a health care provider for malpractice in gender-affirming medical care if the minor “later denies consent” before the age of 25.
Kathryn Oakley, state legislative chief and senior adviser to the National LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, condemned the bill and urged Cox to veto it.
“Today, Utah legislators succumbed to extremism and fear-mongering, shamelessly endangering the lives and well-being of Utah’s youth. I’m just trying,” Oakley said. , in part in a statement on Friday. “All parents want and deserve access to the highest quality health care for their children.”
