Mississippi votes to ban trans healthcare for trans people under the age of 18. Several US states have banned this life-saving care since the beginning of the year.
Mississippi Government to Ban Trans Healthcare
Mississippi has joined two other US states in banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans minors. The legislation voted primarily in favour of the bill. The votes were 78 to 28. This bill is also referred to as the Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures Act. Let’s be clear: there is nothing experimental about gender-affirming healthcare. In 2021, Mississippi also passed another transphobic bill. Trans girls are banned from competing on girls’ sports teams.
Mississippi will defund all the public institutions and professionals that provide gender-related care to trans children and adolescents. If a provider still decides to offer said care, they could lose their medical licence. Any trans person who feels as though their gender-related care caused them harm is allowed to take legal action against their provider. People can take this action up to 30 years after they start gender-affirming care. Health insurance will also not be allowed to cover any trans-related medical care for people under 18 years.
The next step is for the Senate and the Governor to pass the bill. This is very likely to happen. The Senate in Mississippi is primarily Republican and so is the Governor Tate Reeves. Trans youth already face challenges when accessing this life-saving care. Therefore, prohibiting it completely will negatively impact their mental health and overall well-being.
The government in Mississippi will consider another anti-trans bill, HB1258. This bill would expand the trans medical care ban to anyone under the age of 21. The Government would also be allowed to charge physicians who provide that care with the felony crime of ‘gender disfigurement’. They could be fined $10,000 or sentenced to five years in prison.
Parents charged with child abuse for supporting their trans child
Parents who support their child’s transition can also be found guilty of child abuse. They could face between two to ten years of jail time. This is absolutely ridiculous! Supportive parents are helping trans kids, not abusing them. The Trevor Project published a report that found having at least one supportive parent or legal guardian can help improve your child’s mental health. It also decreases the chance of a young queer or trans person attempting suicide by 40%. It is simply transphobic and harmful to trans kids to charge their supportive family members with a crime for taking care of their child.
Previously this year, both Oklahoma and Florida made plans to ban trans healthcare. Similarly to Mississippi, the Florida Board of Medicine decided to ban care for trans children. Trans and gender diverse people under 18 cannot access puberty blockers, hormone therapy or any gender-affirming surgeries. The Republican Senator in Oklahoma also introduced and passed a bill that prohibits gender-affirming care for trans people under the age of 26. This is one of the worst trans bills yet, impacting an even larger population of the trans community.
Research proves that gender-affirming healthcare improves trans people’s mental health and overall well-being. Nevertheless, conservative Governments continue to restrict or ban access to it. This life-saving care should not be limited to adults. While discussions around access to healthcare often exclude trans children, they are the ones most likely to be affected by legislation. Stop banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans children!