Alabama Bill Prohibiting Trans Youth Hormones, Surgery Goes to Governor
Kay Ivey signs the legislation, doctors could face felony charges, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for prescribing puberty blockers and hormones to minors or performing gender reassignment surgeries.The legislation, called the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, claims that most youth who identify as trans will "outgrow" the phase once they go through puberty."This internal sense of discordance is not permanent or fixed, but to the contrary, numerous studies have shown that a substantial majority of children who experience discordance between their sex and identity will outgrow the discordance once they go through puberty and will eventually have an identity that aligns with their sex," the bill states.The bill's wording mentions that a "wait-and-see approach" for transgender youth "who reveal signs of gender nonconformity" is the best course of action, instead of hormone therapy and surgery.Democrat Representative Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the Legislature, said the bill would make life for transgender youth harder."This is invasive," Rafferty said, according to AL.com. "It's hard enough growing up being different.
It's even harder growing up being different and then have the state legislature, your elected officials, the leaders of this state, put a target on children's backs.
Put a target on the parents' backs. And once again, get in the middle of their decisions and say you don't know what to do. You don't know what's best."Republican Representative Wes Allen of Troy, sponsor of the House version of the bill, argues that minors aren't old enough to make permanent decisions about their developing bodies."Their brains are not developed to make the decisions long term about.
