To kick off Pride Month, Texas governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill that bans gender-affirming care for trans youth. SB 14 was signed into law on June 2 and bars trans people under the age of 18 from obtaining trans medical care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies. The law is effective September 1.
Not only will the law keep trans youth from accessing potentially life-saving care, it will also force Texas trans youth already already receiving gender-affirming care to “wean off” the treatments “over a period of time.” In other words, Texan trans teens will be forced to detransition.
Texas is the second-largest state in the nation and so this legislation is one of the largest anti-trans healthcare bans in America.
“Abbott can’t stop trans youth from thriving in Texas — and we’ll take him to court to make sure of it,” the ACLU of Texas tweeted.
Emmett Schelling, executive director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas said
“it’s not shocking that this governor would sign SB14 right at the beginning of Pride [Month]; however this will not stop trans people from continuing to exist with authenticity – as we always have,” when speaking to the Texas Tribune. He added, “cruelty has always been the point” of anti-trans bills like Texas’ most recent gender-affirming healthcare ban.
It’s no secret that trans youth are less likely to experience anxiety and depression when they are given access to gender-affirming care. Study after study show tangible proof that, when given access to gender-affirming treatment, trans people are less likely to consider suicide than those who are barred from such treatments. This fact certainly speaks to the cruelty of bills barring trans-affirming care.
Our community is well aware that Texas isn’t the only state to enact harmful legislation against trans youth as there has been a surge of anti-trans bills sweeping the nation.
