Mississippi governor indicators ban on ‘harmful’ youth gender-transition procedures

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed into legislation Tuesday a invoice banning gender-transition procedures for these underneath the age of 18, drawing a line on the border to cease what he referred to as “a harmful motion spreading throughout America.”

The Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures Act “bans any particular person from knowingly offering gender transition procedures to an individual underneath 18,” together with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical procedures. The measure takes impact instantly.

“There’s a harmful motion spreading throughout America as we speak,” Mr. Reeves mentioned at a press convention previous to the invoice signing. “It’s advancing underneath the guise of a false ideology and pseudo-science. It’s being pushed onto our youngsters by radical activists, social media and on-line influencers, and it’s making an attempt to persuade our youngsters that they’re within the improper physique.” 

The legislation additionally prohibits authorities funds or tax deductions from getting used for the procedures, bans Medicaid protection for these underneath 18 present process such remedies, and provides enforcement procedures to the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure.

There are these trying to push a sick and twisted ideology that seeks to persuade our children they’re within the improper physique and the answer is to drug, sterilize, and castrate themselves.

To those radical activists I solely have one factor to say: Not in Mississippi! pic.twitter.com/XdsGjbb7SC

— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 28, 2023

Mississippi, a lot to the consternation of LGBTQ advocates, joins a half-dozen crimson states which have handed legal guidelines combating the speedy growth of youth gender clinics catering to youngsters and youths who establish as the alternative intercourse.

“Gov. Reeves’ choice to signal this invoice is an act of violence,” mentioned Mickie Stratos, president of the Spectrum Heart of Hattiesburg. “He and the lawmakers who pushed this invoice in Mississippi are willfully ignoring the distinctive wants of transgender younger individuals, interfering with their medical care and sending a stigmatizing, exclusionary message.” 

Rob Hill, state director of Human Rights Marketing campaign Mississippi, referred to as the invoice “an outrageous assault on LGBTQ+ Mississippians and their households.”

“Just like the politicians who wrote this invoice, Gov. Reeves doesn’t have an oz. of medical coaching,” Mr. Hill mentioned. “He’s in no place to dictate the choices that docs and their sufferers make about well being care.”

Cheering the invoice’s passage was Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Matt Sharp, who mentioned “Mississippi is correct to cease the injection of political agendas into the healthcare system.”

“Science and customary sense inform us that youngsters are usually not mature sufficient to correctly consider the intense ramifications when making sure choices—the choice to bear harmful and sure sterilizing gender transition procedures isn’t any exception,” Mr. Sharp mentioned.

The invoice sailed via the Mississippi Home on a 78-30 vote final month after which the Senate final week by 33-15.

Mississippi turned the third state this 12 months to put age limits on gender-transition procedures, following Utah and South Dakota. A Tennessee invoice handed by the state legislature final week is predicted to be signed by GOP Gov. Invoice Lee. 

Legal guidelines handed in Alabama and Arkansas at the moment are enjoined pending the result of court docket challenges.

An Arizona invoice authorized final 12 months prohibits minors from present process irreversible gender-transition surgical procedures.

Mr. Reeves, who’s up for reelection in November, mentioned “there are two positions right here.”