Louisiana lawmakers have passed legislation that would ban sex reassignment for minors claiming to be transgender. Hormone treatments, puberty blockers, and surgeries intended for children would be outlawed under the legislation.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican state representative Gabe Firment, said in a statement, “The people of Louisiana have made it clear that our children are worth fighting for.” The bill received supporting votes from several Democrats.
Supporters of the bill argue that the measure aims to protect children from risky, unnecessary, and unproven medical treatments. Critics claim that the bill denies necessary care and could “harm the well-being of transgender youth.”
Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has said he opposes the legislation, but it passed with a wide enough margin in the Republican-controlled state legislature to potentially override a veto. The governor’s response to the bill is yet unknown.
If the bill becomes law, Louisiana will join 17 other states that have similarly enacted restrictions on the processes and drugs necessary to “transition” minors. These laws are part of a broader effort by conservative lawmakers to rein in an industry and interest group that has little oversight and significant political power.
In addition to the ban on sex-change operations and hormone treatments, Louisiana lawmakers approved bills that constrain teachers — prohibiting educators from discussing non-educational topics such as gender identity and sexual orientation. Further, the bills would maintain that, for the purposes of all records, students are the sex observed at their birth. Critics have labeled these measures “Don’t Say Gay” laws, similar to those enacted in other states.
The State of Louisiana has an estimated 4,000 transgender teenagers. If the bill becomes law, transgender minors who want surgery and hormone treatments would have to seek them outside the state.