The Arkansas state legislature on April 6 overrode Hutchinson’s veto, making the state the first in the U.S. to ban doctors from providing sex-change treatment to minors under the age of 18.
Arkansas on Tuesday (April 6) became the first U.S. state to ban doctors from providing sex-change treatment to minors under the age of 18.
The governor vetoed the anti-transgender bill on Monday (5), but the state’s Senate and House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to override the governor’s decision.
Arkansas’ Republican-controlled House voted Tuesday afternoon to override Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the state’s HB 1570, called the Arkansas Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act. The Republican-controlled Senate also subsequently overrode the governor’s veto of HB1570 (called the Arkansas Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act).
Governor Hutchinson also expected his veto to be overridden by the Legislature when he vetoed the bill Monday.
The state House passed the “Save Our Youth from Experimentation Act” in early March by a vote of 70 to 22, and the state Senate passed the bill in late March by a vote of 28 to 7.
The bill prohibits doctors and health care providers from performing sex reassignment surgery on minors under the age of 18 or referring them to other health care providers for surgery. Doctors who perform such sex reassignment surgeries would be subject to disciplinary action by the state’s relevant entities or disciplinary review boards.
Also, the bill prohibits the use of public funds for sex reassignment surgery. “Public funds may not be used, awarded, paid, or distributed, directly or indirectly, to any health care facility, organization, or individual that provides sex reassignment to persons under the age of 18,” the bill reads.
Of course, the bill also provides for exceptions, such as: some intersex people whose chromosomal makeup and hormone production are unclear, and those whose intersex treatment has caused hardship as a result of previous transgender treatment, will not be affected by the bill.
The American Academy of Pediatricians, a conservative group representing 600 physicians and health care professionals, expressed support for the bill. They want to protect children from irreversible surgeries they may later regret and the potential health effects that come with them.
According to the Associated Press, the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Alan Clark, said before the vote, “The purpose of this bill is to protect children, and in areas where they are in great need of protection.”
Sixteen other U.S. states are considering drafting a similar bill, but it has also drawn opposition from some organizations.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a leftist civil rights advocacy group, said they are preparing a lawsuit against Arkansas to block such a bill from being implemented. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents 67,000 pediatricians, also opposes the bill.
A presidential memorandum signed by President Biden on Feb. 4 directs all U.S. government departments and agencies working abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance advocate for and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, coolie, intersex and other groups (LGBTQI+) around the world.
The LGBT community typically favors Democrats in presidential elections.
Recent Comments