Missouri is the latest state to push back on dangerous and often irreversible gender transition procedures for minors.
The Republican-led House in Missouri has voted to advance HB 2649 or the "Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act," which prevents doctors and health care workers employed by the state and local government from providing "gender transition procedures" to individuals aged 17 and below. It also prohibits state or locally-run facilities from carrying out gender transition procedures on minors.
According to ABC News, the Republican legislature of Missouri also voted for an amendment to HB 1973, which would prevent transgender students in high school from playing on sports teams that do not correspond to their biological sex. Under the "Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act," doctors and health care professionals who perform gender transition procedures or refers patients to any health care professional who does so could be "subject of civil and administrative actions."
In addition, Missouri's SAFE Act mandates that any health benefit plan or health carrier on or after January 1, 2023 will not cover reimbursement for gender transition procedures for individuals aged 17 and below. The carrier or plan will also not be required to provide coverage for gender transition procedures.
Missouri's SAFE Act is sponsored by Rep. Suzie Pollock, who presented it at a hearing on Thursday. During the hearing, the Republican leader argued that HB 2649 "helps kids struggling to embrace their biological sex by protecting them from harmful drugs and surgery."
Rep. Pollock added that the proposed legislation is "providing a standard of informed consent for children by not violating the Hippocratic Oath of 'Do no harm.' Giving children puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and even irreversible surgery violates the first duty of medicine, which is 'Do no harm.'"
The proposed bill that protects minors from gender transition procedures was met with criticism from several left-wing groups and leaders. Missouri Democratic Rep. Peter Merideth, who has three daughters, said that these bills targeting transgender students is "not about protecting our daughters" and is more "about bullying the most vulnerable group of kids in our state to score political points."
PROMO, a Missouri organization that advocates for LGBT equality, took to Twitter to describe the proposed measure as "Rep. Pollock's extreme attack" on transgender kids who are being denied "access to life-saving affirming health care."
The Maneater reported that a crowd of 50 students gathered in Speakers Circle on Tuesday to protest the measures targeting transgender youth's rights. The demonstration was organized by two University of Missouri student organizations, Oasis and the Mizzou Young Democratic Socialists of America, and expressed opposition to SB 843 and HB 2649.
Meanwhile in neighboring Kansas, Senate Republicans on Tuesday overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto on a measure that would prohibit transgender girls and women from competing in girl's and women's interscholastic sports, KCUR reported. Now, the measure only needs a vote in the House to determine if it does become law.
Those who were pushing for the transgender ban in women's sports needed 27 votes, a two-thirds majority of the 40-member Senate. They received 28 votes, with all but one Republican Sen. Brenda Dietrich, voting in favor of the bill.
