La. ALEXANDRIA (KALB) – A new Louisiana law prohibits transgender individuals under the age of 18 from receiving medical care there.
La. Gender-affirming health for transgender minors is prohibited by House Bill 648, which is now Louisiana Act 466. The legislation was penned by State Representative Gabe Firment (R, Dist. 22), Pollock. In addition to gender-affirming procedures, it forbids hormone therapies, drugs that stop puberty, and other pertinent gender-affirming care for children.
According to State Rep. Firment, “The more research I did, the more I realized that this was something we needed to do to protect Louisiana’s children.”
Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed the legislation, known as the “Stop Harming Our Kids Act,” during the 2023 Legislative Session, but it was overridden by legislators in July. The new legislation then fueled more debate among members of the LGBTQ+ community in the state.
According to Ann Lowrey, CEO of the Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services, “I believe that what we’ve already seen is that, among the very few children who are affected by this, their parents are worried for their children.” “They’re thinking about moving out of state.”
Rep. Firment stated that he thinks there is a bit of transgender propaganda on social media and does not want to see his 13-year-old daughter and his son, who is 15 years old, succumb to peer pressure in society.
Rep. Firment argued that the policy was only intended to protect children from harm and that giving them potent experimental medication is harmful to their health.
According to a study from the Louisiana Department of Health published in March 2023, no gender reassignment procedures were carried out on children in the state between 2017 and 2021. Rep. Firment had ordered the investigation, and legislators had given their consent for it during the 2022 legislative session. Gov. Edwards cited the research as justification for his veto.
Medicaid enrollment was under 800,000, and 465 children had gender dysphoria, according to a medical provider. Of those children, 57 were thought to be candidates for testosterone replacements or puberty blockers. According to Lowrey, lawmakers are creating issues where they don’t exist.
Lowrey said, “I don’t know what makes legislators think they’re better equipped to decide whether or not a child should be able to access proven, life-saving medical care, and that parents should not have the right to participate in those decisions with a healthcare provider.”
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