Texas has joined several other Republican-led states in banning puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for children with gender dysphoria. The new legislation, signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, prohibits medical interventions designed to alter a child’s biological sex, aiming to prevent what proponents of the bill term as “child mutilation” through sex change drugs and procedures.
The bill, SB 14, which was approved by the state Senate in a 19-12 vote, specifically bans the use of medical treatments and surgeries meant to transition a child’s biological sex. The legislation aligns with the child’s sex as determined by their sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous hormone profiles, opposing treatment plans that affirm a child’s perceived gender if it differs from their biological sex.
However, the law allows for a transitional phase for minors who are currently on any of the prohibited treatments. They can gradually discontinue their treatment plans in a manner deemed safe and medically appropriate, aiming to minimize the risk of complications.
The law also bars government funding or reimbursement for sex change procedures in minors. The implementation of SB 14 is set to take effect on September 1, 2023.
This new legislation comes as part of Texas’s broader rejection of LGBT rights, aimed at protecting children and traditional family values. In April, while progressing SB 14 in the legislature, lawmakers also passed a ban on males competing against females in athletic events. A total of 13 states have imposed similar bans on medical interventions for child gender transitions, with another four restricting such treatments. Some of these bans, including those in Arkansas and Alabama, are currently blocked in court, while others have passed in at least one legislative chamber.