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Following suit with other Republican-controlled statehouses in the country, lawmakers in the Louisiana House passed a bill Tuesday that would ban sex reassignment medical care to minors, advancing the legislation to the Senate for further debate.
The bill would prohibit doctors from performing "gender transition procedures" — such as hormone treatments, sex reassignment surgery or puberty-blocking drugs — on anyone under the age of 18 who is seeking treatment to "alter" their sex assigned at birth. The measure, which also establishes penalties for health professionals who provide such care, passed 71-24 mainly along party lines.
Proponents of the bill say it will protect children from life-altering medical procedures until they are "mature enough" to make such serious decisions. Opponents argue sex reassignment care, which is supported by numerous major medical organizations, can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria — distress over gender identity that doesn’t match a person’s assigned sex.
Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community fear that without the care, transgender children could face heightened risks of spiraling into depression and anxiety. Research suggests transgender youth and adults are prone to stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts, but there’s less evidence that treatment with hormones or surgery resolves those issues.
Additionally, Democrats argued the bill conflicts with the GOP's push for parental rights bills. Currently, children in Louisiana need parental permission to receive any gender-affirming health care before they turn 18. Many opponents of the bill who spoke Monday said finding and gaining timely access to sex reassignment medical care is already a struggle.
A general view of the Louisiana State Capitol is shown on April 17, 2020, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Lawmakers in the Louisiana House banned sex reassignment surgeries for minors. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
TRANS MAN WHO TRANSITIONED AT AGE 11 SAYS DENYING MINORS TREATMENT IS ‘GENOCIDE’
Louisiana is the latest state to take up debate over banning sex reassignment medical care to minors, in a year that LGBTQ+ advocates argue that conservative lawmakers are targeting transgender rights — from health care to athletics to bathroom access to pronoun usage.
At least 16 states have enacted laws restricting or banning sex reassignment care for minors. Additionally, three states — Florida, Missouri, and Texas — have banned or restricted the care with regulations or administrative orders. Missouri is the only one that also limits the treatments for adults, a restriction that has been blocked by a judge.
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In some blue states, including Minnesota and Washington, laws protecting access to sex reassignment care have been enacted.
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