Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has enacted a law banning gender reassignment procedures for minors in the state. Known as the “Children’s gender change prohibition,” the law aims to prevent the permanent sterilization, castration, or mutilation of children. The legislation will allow exceptions for children diagnosed with a verifiable genetic disorder of sex development and who have parental or guardian consent for procedures or treatments.
Gov. Gordon’s support for SF0099 derives from a desire to protect children; however, he expressed concerns about government overreach into family matters and called for the legislature to clarify its stance on parental rights.
The new law explicitly bans surgeries leading to sterilization of a child, a prohibition that extends to hormone treatments for sex-change and puberty-blocking purposes. Wyoming’s move has seen endorsements from organizations advocating against child transgenderism.
At the same time, Gordon vetoed a bill seeking to impose further restrictions on abortion clinics in Wyoming. Gov. Gordon’s office stated that amendments to the initial bill had complicated its purpose and created exposure to legal challenges. Therefore, enacting the law could further delay resolving the constitutionality of abortion in Wyoming.