Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed a new law banning gender-affirming care For trans youth Tuesday, amid Republican attacks on LGBTQ+ communities throughout the country.
Reeves who will be running for reelection next year said that the law is intended to counter a “dangerous movement that’s spreading across America,” Listening to the conservative dog whistles of trans people, which doctors believe are already hurting vulnerable young people, is dangerous.
“This is truly scary stuff that’s being pushed upon our kids and, yes, their loving parents,” Reeves said. “They’re being taken advantage of, all so some can push their warped view on gender or appear to be ‘woke’ for their friends.”
Utah and South Dakota passed similar laws recently, and 150 bills aimed at trans people have already been filed in the statehouses thus far this year. Seven states now bar minors you are not allowed to seek gender-affirming healthcare (although Alabama and Arkansas judges have blocked the same legislation),
Rights groups condemned the new Mississippi law, painting it as a political decision meant to bolster Reeves’ reelection bid.
“This is an outrageous attack on LGBTQ+ Mississippians and their families,” Rob Hill is the author Mississippi In a statement, the state director of Human Rights Campaign said. “[Reeves] is in no position to dictate the decisions that doctors and their patients make about health care. This is nothing more than an attempt to inflate his flagging poll numbers ahead of a difficult re-election campaign.”
The Mississippi The legislation takes effect immediately. This bans doctors prescribing hormonal therapy or any puberty-blocking medicine to their patients. It also prohibits gender change surgery for children under 18 years old. Doctors who violate the ban may lose their medical license. There is also a statute of limitations for those who break the law.
This care has been considered medically necessary by top medical professionals. This is the American Medical Association American Academy of Pediatrics The Republican-led effort has been sharply criticised by those who claim that it is not based on truths or misinformation regarding trans youth and medicine.
The Trevor Project released a survey earlier in the month that found Republican attacks against trans youth have been causing damage. A majority of LGBTQ youth surveyed in the poll were positive. 71%, said the debates and restrictive laws have negatively affected their mental health, and 29% of trans youth said they didn’t feel safe going to the doctor or a hospital when sick or injured.
Reeves had previously signed anti-trans legislation into law, a 2021 measure that banned transgender athletes from competing on girls’ or women’s sports teams.
