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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill that effectively bans the prescription of gender reassignment drugs to minors at the state’s main children’s hospital.
The a republican is withholding COVID-relief funding for Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health until it stops providing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to those under 18.
The state has awarded $108 million to the University of Oklahoma-affiliated health system as part of the 2021 federal bailout law to help struggling businesses and hospitals.
Governor Stitt said Tuesday: “By signing this bill today, we take the first step toward protecting children from permanent gender reassignment surgeries and therapies.”
“It is grossly inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be used to justify, encourage or perform these types of controversial procedures on healthy children.”
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital currently offers life-changing medications to teenagers under 18 with parental approval. It is believed that around 100 minors are currently undergoing treatment.
Stitt also called on the Republican-controlled state legislature to ban some of these gender-affirming treatments statewide when it returns in February.
In a statement, he said he wanted a ban on “all irreversible sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy” on minors.
Stitt has signed into law bills restricting transgender children in sports, as well as a bathroom bill that prevents students from using a bathroom that reflects their gender identity
Children’s Hospital Oklahoma currently offers life-changing medications to teenagers under 18 with their parents’ approval. It is believed that around 100 minors are currently undergoing treatment
There are an estimated 300,000 trans Americans between the ages of 13 and 17, a number that has multiplied over the past two decades.
This comes after Alabama tried to make it a felony for doctors to prescribe puberty blockers to minors, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
But the move was blocked by a federal judge just days after it took effect in April.
Arkansas lawmakers overrode a Republican governor’s veto and passed legislation last year banning gender-affirming treatment for minors, including puberty blockers.
The law also prohibits health care providers from making referrals to other providers for minors seeking transition procedures.
A federal court blocked the Arkansas law from taking effect.
In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill that bans doctors from performing sex-affirmation surgeries on minors, although the legislation does not address hormone therapy or puberty blockers.
Tennessee has banned doctors from giving drugs to minors before puberty, but older teens still have access to the drugs.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the ban in Tennessee just hours after signing legislation that would deny transgender students access to restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.
While Texas has not specifically banned gender transition care, Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration has labeled the care of gender-affirming minors as a form of child abuse.
Abbott forced the state Department of Family and Safeguarding to report any cases of “direct contact with children who may be subject to such abuse”, which would then trigger an investigation into the parents of the trans child.
As of January 2022, 15 countries have done so presented a total of 25 bills to deduct trans health services.
Children’s Hospital Oklahoma currently offers transitional care such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and help finding surgeons who perform gender confirmation surgeries for people up to age 24.
Hospital said in a statement that the senior management team is ‘proactively planning to discontinue some gender medicine services at our facilities and this plan is already in development.’
What will happen to minors who are currently receiving drugs is not clear.
This isn’t the first time Stitt and the majority Republican legislature have targeted trans youth.
In March, he signed the Save Women’s Sports Act, which prohibits public school students of all ages and college students from competing on sports teams of their gender identity, if it differs from the gender assigned at birth.
Governor Stitt also signed legislation in May that prohibits public school students from using the bathroom that best reflects their gender identity if it does not match the gender listed on their birth certificate.
The bill’s signing was met with resistance from social justice and physician groups.
Tamya Cox-Touré, executive director of the ACLU of Oklahoma, said‘Today, Oklahoma politicians took the next step and joined their colleagues in Alabama, Arkansas and Texas by attacking life-saving and best-in-class health care for transgender youth in Oklahoma.’
“Healthcare experts agree: Gender-affirming care is medically necessary care. And today’s actions, along with the displays on the floor of the House and Senate, demonstrate a fundamental ignorance about the treatment of transgender youth,” she added.
The Oklahoma State Medical Association called the main caveat in the bill “disturbing.”
“Unfortunately, instead of supporting the mental health of Oklahoma’s children, lawmakers are once again meddling in private health care,” the organization said.
Stitt also called on the Republican-led Legislature to outright ban some gender-affirming services when it returns to session in February.
He said, ‘We cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening across our state, and as governor I will not allow life-changing surgeries on minors in the state of Oklahoma.’
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