ST. LOUIS — On Thursday, the Missouri House of Representatives passed the ‘Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act’ and sent it over to the Senate.
Representative Brad Hudson said the Missouri SAFE Act, HB419, would make it illegal for healthcare providers to perform gender transition surgeries and even prescribe hormone treatments and puberty blockers to kids under the age of 18.
“I do want to make sure that doctors that would prescribe life-altering drugs or would subject children to life-altering surgeries for gender transition purposes, kids under the age of 18, I want to make sure and send a clear message not to do that,” Rep. Hudson said.
Hudson called the transition methods experimental and wrong.
“Some of these particular drugs, people do not know the long-term effects of these on children even people in the medical community,” Hudson said.
Danielle Meert, a mother of a transgender child, said transgender healthcare practices have been studied for decades and are essential for the well-being of transgender people.
“The fact that these legislators are demonizing these wonderful pediatricians that have helped countless children. There's no words for the amount of evil that’s coming out of Jefferson City right now,” Meert said.
Transparent President Susan Halla said her child started transitioning at the age of 15.
“He was able to do all of his transitioning by the age of 18, and he then had his top surgery, and he was able to then move on to college as his true authentic self. He couldn't be happier with how he is. As a parent, I couldn't be happier with who he is,” Halla said.
Halla said she doesn’t know where her child would be without access to gender-affirming care.
“I don't know if he would have been able to go away to college. I don't know if he would still be here. I think the legislature always hates it when we bring up the suicide rates. But it's a fact and it is not a contagion,” Halla said.
Both parents said they are not sure yet how either measure will affect their families yet.
The bill now heads to the Senate which already passed a bill that would exempt care for minors who already started treatment.
That bill would expire in four years, unlike the House bill which remains in effect indefinitely if signed into law.
On Friday, the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MOAAP) released the following statement regarding measures that would limit gender-affirming care access to transgender and gender-questioning youth, which reads:
“The Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, representing over 1,100 pediatricians across the state stands for the health and well-being of children and youth in Missouri through their important relationship with their doctor.
Transgender and gender-questioning youth should be focusing on learning, growing, and thriving – not whether they will be able to access evidence-based care that is supported across mainstream medical organizations. These proposals will harm young Missourians and the families, physicians, and communities that care for them.
The Missouri AAP stands with our physician members in their dedication to evidence-informed care in support of the families they care for in Missouri and across the country – today and every day.”
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