Mississippi governor signs bill banning transgender health care for minors
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Mississippi became the seventh state on Tuesday to enact restrictions on certain transition-related healthcare for minors.
Gov. Tate Reeves (a Republican) said that he signed the bill which bans puberty blocking drugs, hormone therapy, and surgery for minors because of “a dangerous movement spreading across America right now.”
Reeves stated that the bill was being advanced under the cover of a false ideology and that pseudo science was being pushed onto children by radical activists, social media influencers and online influencers. This dangerous movement tries to convince these children they are just one surgery away from happiness. It is a threat to our children’s innocence and their health.
Reeves signed the bill and invited Matt Walsh, a right-wing commentator from Daily Wire to speak. Walsh has been scathing about hospitals’ treatment of transgender teens, especially Vanderbilt University Medical Center. According to NBC News, Walsh’s activism played a major role in Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s decision to reject $8 million in federal funds for HIV prevention and treatment.
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Mississippi is one of 23 states that will consider restrictions on gender-affirming minor health care. This can include hormone therapy, puberty blockers and even surgery.
Mississippi’s bill prohibits this type of care for minors. It also prohibits public funding to be used to support institutions or individuals that provide such care to minors. Licenses of health care providers who violate the law could be revoked. Minors receiving transition-related care can sue providers up to 30 years after they have received care. This measure is effective immediately.
These measures were signed into law by seven governors over the past two years — in Alabama, Arizona Arkansas, South Dakota and Tennessee as well as Utah, Utah, and now Mississippi. However, judges have prevented Arkansas’ and Alabama laws from becoming effective pending the outcome a lawsuit.
Rep. Gene Newman (a Republican) was the principal author of the Mississippi bill. NBC News did not receive a response to their request for comment.
This measure provides exceptions for intersex babies, for circumcision of babies born to a male gender and for treatment of unrelated health conditions, such as gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is distress that results from a conflict between the person’s assigned sexual sex at birth or their gender identity.
State legislation targeting LGBTQ people includes restrictions on transition care. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, and another group of researchers, more than 300 bills have been introduced by state legislators this year targeting LGBTQ people.
According to NBC News analysis, most bills are focused on transgender youths. According to the Movement Advancement Project (an LGBTQ think tank), 18 states have banned transgender girls playing on school girls’ sports teams in the past three years. NBC News reported that at least 15 states have considered similar measures this year.
Stacie Pace (owner of Spectrum: The Other Clinic in Hattiesburg in Mississippi) stated in a statement that no child is undergoing gender-affirming surgery in Mississippi after the Legislature passed the bill.
Pace stated in a statement that “there are no options for bottom (genital surgery) for adults in this State.”
She said that gender-affirming medication is only available to anyone below 18 after a multidisciplinary evaluation, and that parents are always involved. She noted that many national medical associations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, support minors having access to gender-affirming healthcare.
Pace stated that it was unclear where anti-trans legislators are getting the idea to do more research. “The problem they see with trans youth getting procedures done simply isn’t there and can be easily cleared up by talking to those who regularly work with this population.”