Texas becomes largest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors
Texas on Friday became the most populous state to ban gender-affirming care for minors, as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill outlawing puberty blockers and hormone therapy for under-18s.
The state’s House and Senate passed the bill in mid-May, and the new law will go into effect on Sept. 1. At least 18 other states have banned gender-affirming medication or surgical care for transgender youths, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a Colorado-based nonprofit think tank that advocates for LGBTQ rights.
Under the law, insurance plans are banned from covering any treatments “that are intended to transition a child’s biological sex.” As well as banning any puberty-blocking drugs or hormone treatment for minors, the law prevents healthcare providers from carrying out gender-affirming surgeries, including mastectomies.
Several medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have said they are “strongly opposed to any legislation or regulation” that would prevent the provision of gender-affirming care to “gender-diverse individuals, including children and adolescents,” saying this prevents “the provision of evidence-based patient care.”
Doctors generally advise waiting until a child reaches puberty before taking puberty blockers or hormone treatments, The
has reported. The new law has some exceptions. Any minor who began receiving puberty blockers or hormone treatments before June 1, and attended at least 12 sessions of mental health counseling or psychotherapy beforehand, may continue to take them — but they must “wean off the prescription drug over a period of time” and will be prevented from beginning any new treatment, according to the measures.
Medical professionals who violate the ban will have their license revoked, and public money may not be used by any individual or facility providing gender-affirming care.
The Texas branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said Friday it would launch a legal challenge against the bill. “Abbott can’t stop trans youth from thriving in Texas — and we’ll take him to court to make sure of it,” it said in a tweet.