Texas becomes largest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors

Texas Gov. Abbott signs law banning gender-affirming care for minors - The Washington Post

Texas on Friday became the most populous state to ban gender-affirming care for minors, as Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill outlawing puberty blockers and hormone therapy for under-18s.

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 health-care 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 Washington Post 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.

“Health care for trans youth is still legal in Texas until September 1, 2023. We are doing everything in our power to preserve access to this life-saving, evidence-based health care beyond that date,” it added.

The Williams Institute, a research center that reports on LGBT community demographics, estimates that almost 30,000 Texans between the ages of 13 and 17 identify as transgender — the highest number in any state with a similar ban.

Last month, the Texas House and Senate also voted in support of a bill that would extend a ban on transgender girls taking part in female sports in public schools to force college athletes to compete based on their sex as assigned at birth. The new bill has been sent to the governor.

A majority of Americans oppose puberty-blocking medications and hormonal treatments for trans children, according to a Washington Post-KFF poll. The survey was conducted in November and December, before state lawmakers introduced more than 400 anti-trans bills this year.

A Washington Post analysis in April found that a record number of bills targeting LGBTQ rights became law in U.S. states in the first four months of this 2023 — many of them focusing on transgender rights.

The ACLU is tracking almost 500 anti-LGBTQ bills in the United States, including 53 in Texas.

Andrew Jeong and Molly Hennessy-Fiske contributed to this report.