Indiana and Idaho have both recently signed bills to ban gender affirming care for minors. Banning transgender youths access to treatment has been a growing trend and Indiana and Idaho are the most recent to follow suit. Indiana’s ban states that physicians or practitioners who provide gender affirming care to minors will be subject to discipline by their regulatory board, and Idaho’s ban states that physicians or practitioners who provide gender affirming care could face a $5000 fine and a felony charge.
Supporters of these bills argue that minors are too young to make permanent decisions regarding their body. But, people against the bill, like the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), who have sued Indiana for their recent bill, argue that gender affirming care is a constitutional right and harms trangender youth.
Nebraska is also currently debating the Let them Grow Act, which also prohibits health care providers from performing gender altering procedures for those under 19. The act was introduced by Senator Kathleen Kauth, who claims that this act is “protecting kids.”
Nebraska has a unicameral legislature with a non-official 32-17. Democrats like Senator Machaela have been filibustering this bill, hoping to prevent it from being passed. National medical associations and transgender youth have also expressed how gender affirming care is necessary care. A 17 year old high school student, Alx Montgomery spoke out against the bill, expressing how his transition has had a huge impact on his happiness and confidence, and that the proposed bill would severely harm transgender youth.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/30/us/nebraska-filibuster-transgender-bills.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/06/politics/gender-affirming-care-idaho-indiana/index.html
https://www.ketv.com/article/nebraska-legislature-begins-debate-let-them-grow-act/43377588#
Image source: https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-mississippi-lgbtq-03a51aaf8307889125d264421240ccf4
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If passed into law, the bill could impact transgender individuals' ability to participate in sports and potentially create a hostile environment for them. This could result in discrimination against transgender individuals, causing psychological distress and potentially negatively affecting their mental health.
The bill could also send a message that these states are not welcoming places for transgender people, which could lead to reduced economic opportunities and discourage businesses from investing in the state.
The conflict between many red and blue states has been brewing especially on related topics like abortions. One similar element between this and abortion is what part is actually in the constitution. Due to the Constitution's age, the supreme court has to interpret many newer cases utterly different from the time during the Constitution. As a result, many lawmakers do not know how to interpret these modern issues. Although most minors' brains are not fully developed until their early 20s, this does not mean gender-affirming care should be completely banned. These seem to be little consensus on both sides and what is right and wrong for children causing friction between lawmakers on the correct decision
It's truly sad and frustrating to see so many states working to take away basic rights for transgender citizens, especially minors. The slide the country seems to be in back to the conservative ideals before the civil rights movements of the later 20th century is honestly terrifying. At the root of these anti-transgender laws and anti-abortion laws seems to be an innate desire to take away others' autonomy, which goes against the most vital parts of the Constitution. On top of that, the idea that the medical professionals who try to aid these people in living better lives are also punished, simply for doing their jobs, is heartbreaking. At the most basic level, why are we punishing people who are following through on their oaths to help others? Would we all prefer doctors who didn't value our well-being? This mindset surrounding transgender rights need to change, so that people will begin to see these issues not as some sort of hyper-politicized battleground, but rather basic necessities to ensure the happiness and well-being of American citizens.
I completely agree with Teagan. To bring in doctors and punish them for simply doing their jobs, makes a profession that is not supposed to be political political. Doctors are supposed to follow through on their oaths to do their best to support their patients and maintain their health to their best ability. Laws like this, similar to abortion laws that punish providers and doctors for helping their patients, are extremely harmful to the integrity of the field of medicine. It is sad to see bills like this continue to encroach on individual rights, but it is encouraging that some government officials like Nebraska's Democrats are using their power to stop some of the bills. However it is disturbing that more is not being done to protect individual rights to feel happy and healthy in their own body. These individual rights are human rights and should not be treated as something to debate politically.
I find it really sad that now especially after all the abortion laws have gone into many states preventing women from getting abortions, that now states are limiting transgender youth freedom to choose what they do with their bodies. I don't understand why laws like this are being made where people are deciding what a person can and can't do with their own body and now it's based on age. As Kayla said, it is "truly harming the transgender youth". Ever since Kindergarten we as kids are taught to always be ourselves, yet with these laws into place how can those who don't feel comfortable or happy in their born gender, truly be themselves. These laws are forcing them to hide themselves, which in turn disrupts their mental health. Mental health has been a growing focus, yet with this law it is not only bringing down youth, but it is also paving the way for future mental health problems because kids are being forced to limit and hide how they truly see/ want to see themselves.
There is undeniably a clash between red and blue states on the liberties of rights. Like Teagan mentioned, I think American policies are placing more and more restrictions on human rights. Similarly to abortion issues like this one, the left and right side have conflicting opinions of related topics like race, gun control, and lgbtq rights. I like that Teagan mentioned the civil rights era because I feel that was a pivot point for american society. This time period focused on promoting equality and inclusivity. While we have experienced great advancement since pre civil rights era, in recent years we have fallen back into discriminatory practice. I dont know what the solution will be to this problem America is facing, but I wonder in a social climate that focuses on inclusion, what benefit is there to exclude?
To me what comes to mind when thinking of some of these politicians is the hypocritical arguments made. The pro-life people who claim to be doing the moral good also often are the people opposing these mentioned laws that are clearly aimed at helping transgender youth. The rates of suicide for this demographic are much higher, so it becomes a conversation of wellbeing. Also, it is unfair that doctors are being punished for doing their job, which is to help people.
Every time I see news of states pushing to pass legislature such as this or banning drag shows, I am just so disappointed that this is what they have chosen to focus their energy on. There are actual threats to children such as school shootings and climate change and yet these Republican states ignore these issues while still claiming to be "protecting children." Obviously, it is just a dialogue they employ to pass their prejudiced legislature, but it is still frustrating.
By banning youth healthcare for those suffering from gender dysphoria will cause people to travel out of state to receive care, and potentially cause negative mental health problems to these discriminated individuals, leading to extreme results such as suicide. Not everybody have the resources and money to travel to another state to receive treatment, this decision is disappointing considering there is already difficulty for women to get abortions in some states, and now youth are prevented from getting proper treatment.
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