Mississippi has banned gender-affirming healthcare for anyone under 18

On Tuesday, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) signed H.B. 1125, known as the “Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (REAP) Act” into law. As Axios notes, the law, which went into effect immediately, prohibits the provision of “gender transition procedures,” including puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgeries, to anyone under the age of 18.

Under the new law, healthcare workers who provide gender-affirming care to minors will have their licenses revoked. It also allows patients to sue healthcare providers up to 30 years after receiving treatment, and denies state or federal funding to state organizations that provide gender-affirming care to minors.

Gender-affirming care for both adolescents and adults has been endorsed by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, and many other professional groups as necessary and frequently lifesaving for transgender individuals. Recent research suggests that gender-affirming care like hormone therapy improves the mental health of transgender youth experiencing gender dysphoria.

During a signing ceremony on Tuesday, Reeves parroted anti-trans claims that have been largely debunked by the American Academy of Pediatrics.