Parents like this angry lady in Loudoun County, Virginia, have been rising up across the country with complaints about how transgender issues are negatively affecting their traditionally-raised children. Some states are banning transgender sports changes in schools. Arkansas leads the way in banning hormone and surgical procedures in minors. Photo courtesy Loudon County Angry Parents.
In a bold move, Arkansas passed a law to prevent doctors from providing gender change treatments for transgender minors who identify with a sex other than that at birth.
House Bill 1570 limits access to certain treatments for youth younger than 18 years old including gender affirming hormone therapy, puberty blockers or gender-confirmation surgeries The law makes Arkansas the first state to make gender affirming medical care illegal (Chelsey Cox, USA Today On-line, “As Arkansas Bans Treatments for Transgender Youth, 15 Other States Consider Similar Bills,” Apr 8, 2021).
Arkansas Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R)
In February 2021, Arkansas Representative Robin Lundstrum introduced the bill to limit transgender activities with minors into the state house. The bill passed the Arkansas General Assembly in March. The bill is also known as the SAFE Act (Act 626), or the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation” Act.
In addition to banning gender-affirming medical procedures, the law also bans the use of public funds for and prohibits insurance from covering gender transition procedures, and doctors who provide treatment in violation of the ban can be sued for damages or professionally sanctioned. Supporters of the bill claim that gender transition procedures are experimental and their long-term effects have not been established.
In April, Democratic Governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed the bill. The General Assembly, however, voted to override the governor’s veto with votes of 72-25 in the House and 25-8 in the Senate strongly in favor of the override.
The law would have taken effect in July; however, a federal judge stopped it pending the outcome of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.
South Carolina, North Carolina and at least 14 other states have had bills under consideration in 2021 that would ban or prohibit medical sex change procedures or would limit participation of transgenders in sports in schools based only on their perceived gender identity.
Bills to Limit Transgender Sports and Medical Procedures for Minors Being Considered in South and North Carolina
SC Rep. Ashley B. Trantham, R-Greenville, District 28, sponsored HB3477, the bill to “Save Women’s Sports Act”
In South Carolina, HB3477 or the “Save Women’s Sports Act” passed sub-committee in the General Assembly in early March and is in the Judiciary Committee. The legislation would prohibit Transgender students from participating in school sports as the sex opposite to their biological sex, especially as most sports are divided by sexual gender. Forty (40) Republicans have added their names to the sponsor of the bill, which is about 25% completed in the general assembly.
At the sub-committee hearing on the legislation, a number of transgender activities and supporters testified and also submitted written objections to the proposed legislation. There were many parents, teachers, coaches and community members who also called for passage of the bill at the hearing pushing for the need to prevent unfair sports and athletic competitions among youth.
South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman, Republican, spoke in opposition to the bill. Southern Equality writer Abigail Bowen, quoted Spearman as saying:
“My response as State Superintendent is to make sure that every child—every child—feels protected when they are in school and when they are on the athletic field. And I believe that this bill does damage to that. The High School League has handled this situation. It’s a very sensitive, personal situation that needs to be handled individually. And this is not something that we need to legislate from Columbia. I ask you to please not pass this legislation”
In North Carolina, Senate Bill 514 was introduced in early April by Republican leaders and passed the first reading. It is entitled “An Act to Protect Minors from Administration of Puberty Blockers and Cross-Sex Hormones and Other Related Actions, Procedures and Treatments. The act states that a person’s sex is genetically encoded into a person at the moment of conception and is unchangeable. It also asserts that over time, most youth come to prefer their own given, sex while puberty blocking procedures, hormone treatments and surgical procedures on healthy tissue will lead to sterility. Therefore, they believe these should be banned from use with minors except in very rare cases where sexual anomalies are proven and verifiable.
Legislation Affecting Transgender Minors in Other States
At least 13 other states this year have introduced 24 bills in their respective legislatures to restrict transgender youths from access to certain medical procedures or to impact their ability to choose gender in sports. These include:
Alabama (HB1, SB10) called the “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act” to prohibit gender confirmation therapy for minors and medical treatment without parental consent; bill passed by Senate but time ran out for full vote so indefinitely postponed.
Florida a bill to ensure a similar ban on medical procedures and drug regimens with minors did not pass subcommittee, a bill to limit transgender women’s ability to compete in women’s sports passed this session.
Georgia (HB401) called “Vulnerable Child Protection Act” prevents health care professionals from performing transgender medical procedures on minors; 25% completed in legislation.
Kansas (SB214) makes it a crime for a physician to perform gender reassignment surgery or hormone replacement therapy on certain children and criminalizes the providing of transgender medical treatment to minors; bill in committee.
Kentucky (HB477) called “An Act Relating to Parental Consent for Transgender Health care Services” is in committee.
Louisiana (SB104) prohibits consent of minors to receive gender therapy and requires parental consent under severe circumstances; bill is in committee.
Mississippi (SB2536) this bill called the “Mississippi Fairness Act” prevents transgenders from switching sports teams from birth-gender; bill signed by governor in March.
Missouri (SB442) is one of several similar bills prohibiting physicians or other professionals from prescribing treatment or performing surgeries on minors; in committee.
Montana (HB427) a similar bill to prohibit hormone therapy and surgery for minors went through several months action but died in process.
New Hampshire (HB68) a similar bill would have added sexual reassignment of minors to the definition in the state of child abuse; bill died in process.
Tennessee (HB0578 & SB0657) two bills prohibiting therapies and surgery for transgender minors and classing actions as child abuse; both in committees; there is also a bill preventing transgenders from switching sports (SB0228) which has been passed and also signed by the governor.
Texas: several bills in the Texas General Assembly are still in discussion.
Utah (HB92) while a medical practice amendment was introduced to prohibit performing of transgender procedures on minors, the bill did not progress.
Lisa Carol Rudisill, M.T.S., is a magna cum laud graduate of NC State University and Liberty University where she earned a Master of Theology. She writes novels about her family history during the Civil War in North and South Carolina. She is a freelance writer, editorialist and a contributor to The Standard newspaper.
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