Bill regarding trans youth healthcare heads to governor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A bill regarding transgender youth health care is heading to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk.
Thursday, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the bill in both the House and the Senate, with those for and against the proposed legislation making their cases.
“It is a very simple bill at its core. It bans dangerous cross-sex hormone treatments, puberty blockers, and disabling medical procedures on minors. All minors,” said Rep. William Lamberth, who proposed the legislation in the House.
The bill would prevent doctors from “Enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported
identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex” or “Treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity.”
Lamberth, on Thursday, stated, “When a child has gender dysphoria or body dysphoria, when they are uncomfortable with their appearance, the worst thing that you can possibly do is say, well if we just start cutting off body parts or giving you medication that was never designed for this, that will alter body forever, that’s the worst thing that you can do.”
Lamberth went on to say that there are organizations that do not agree with providing trans related health care to youth, adding that mental health is the way to go.
Rep. Gloria Johnson, of Knoxville, spoke during the session in the Capitol as well.
“What we’re talking about, a lot of times, a hormone blockers and those things, are not permanent. But the surgeries that you are referring to are not happening in Tennessee. And the reality is we are starting to legislate medicine,” Johnson said.
“The Provincial Health Services Authority reports that healthcare providers refusing to provide puberty blockers to youth who have started the process can cause a great level of distress, leading to anxiety and depression,” stated Rep. Torrey Harris, of Memphis.
Lamberth replied, saying that doctors and their patients would have until March of 2024 to get minors of the medication.
“Steer-stepping them off the drugs will, hopefully, start the healing process and allow their bodies to avoid such things as permanent sterilization, total loss of certain bodies parts, bone loss, depression and other harms, Lamberth answered.
The bill passed 77 to 16 in the House and 26 to six in the Senate.
An official with The Trevor Project released a statement regarding the vote.
“Decisions about transgender medical care should be made between trans patients, their doctors, and their families. Politicians have no business deciding these personal matters by enforcing blanket bans that defy professional guidance from every major medical and mental health association in the country,” said Kasey Suffredini, Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project. “We urge the governor to reject this harmful bill and, instead, work to expand access to best-practice medical care for young people across Tennessee.”
If signed by Gov. Bill Lee, it would take effect on July 1, 2023.
You can find more news from across the state here.
