1/18 NEWSBREAK: S.C. House passes youth restrictions on gender-affirming care

The S.C. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a controversial ban on gender-affirming care for kids and teens in South Carolina after a six-hour debate. The 82-23 vote split largely along party lines in favor of the restrictions. The bill would bar health professionals from performing gender-transition surgeries, prescribing puberty-blocking drugs and overseeing hormone treatments for patients under 18 years old. People under 26 years old could not use Medicaid to cover the costs for such care and school employees could not withhold knowledge of a student’s transgender identity from...