Headline RoundupMarch 30th, 2021

Arkansas Senate Passes Bill Banning Treatments for Transgender Youth

LGBT Rights, Transgender, Trans Rights, Arkansas, State Governments, Republican Party, Healthcare, Public Health

AllSides Summary

The Arkansas Senate passed a bill on Monday banning gender treatments for transgender minors, including hormonal therapy and surgical treatments. The bill awaits the signature of Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who last week signed two bills allowing doctors to refuse treatment based on moral or religious objections and banning trans women and girls from participating in school sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Several states, including Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota and Tennessee, have also recently passed bills aimed at transgender issues and healthcare. Coverage in some left-rated outlets referred to gender treatments as “lifesaving” and labeled the Arkansas bill “anti-trans legislation.” Coverage tended to use the phrase “gender-affirming care” in left-rated outlets, “gender confirming treatments” in center-rated outlets, and “gender transition procedures” in right-rated outlets. Learn more about how AllSides covers trans issues and trans rights here.

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From the Left

Arkansas just passed the ‘single most extreme anti-trans law’ targeting healthcare for kids

PinkNews

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PinkNews

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The Arkansas Senate has passed a bill that would prevent medical practitioners from providing healthcare to trans minors in a shocking blow to the LGBT+ community.

The senate passed HB 1570 on Monday (29 March), making Arkansas the first state to ban puberty blockers and hormone treatment for trans youth.

The bill will now go to governor Asa Hutchinson to be signed into law. LGBT+ rights activists are calling on the governor to veto the dehumanising law.

Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the American Civil Liberties Union...

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From the Left

Arkansas Senate OKs ban on treatments for transgender youth

Associated Press

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Associated Press

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The Arkansas Senate on Monday approved banning gender confirming treatments for minors, sending the governor a restriction on transgender youth that has been criticized by medical and child welfare groups.

The majority Republican Senate voted 28-7 in favor of the legislation. If the bill is enacted it would be the first prohibition of its kind in the country, opponents say. The bill would prohibit doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment or surgery to minors, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment.

“This bill sets out to...

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From the Right

Arkansas Legislature Votes to Ban Gender-Transition Procedures for Minors

National Review

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National Review

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Arkansas lawmakers on Monday passed first of its kind legislation that would prevent doctors from offering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-transition surgery to minors.

Under the measure, any healthcare professional who offers such services would be in danger of losing their medical license and open to lawsuits from patients who later come to regret their procedures.

Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson has not yet revealed whether he will sign the bill into law.

“The governor will review the bill more closely, listen to the debate, study it and make a...

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