Texas Restricts Gender Transition Procedures for Minors
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill on Friday banning many gender transition procedures for children.
The Details: The law takes effect Sept. 1, and bans healthcare providers from prescribing hormones or puberty blockers to children, and from performing surgeries related to gender transition on minors. It makes exceptions for children who started non-surgical care before June 2023 and had 12 or more mental health counseling sessions or psychotherapy six months before starting prescription drug care; these children may apply to continue their care, but must "wean" off treatments under their doctor's guidance.
Key Quotes: "Our children need counseling and love, not blades and drugs," said state Sen. Donna Campbell, who wrote the bill. "Cruelty has always been the point," said Emmett Schelling, executive director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas.
For Context: It's expected to face legal challenges before taking effect. Texas is now the largest of the 18 states with similar restrictions on transgender healthcare for kids.
How the Media Covered It: Differing word choices across the spectrum reflected polarization on the issue. Many left- and center-rated sources said the law and bans "gender-affirming care" for minors. Others like the Texas Tribune (Lean Left bias) didn't, instead saying it "bars transgender kids from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapies." Washington Examiner (Lean Right) said it bans "gender-transition healthcare for children." Daily Wire (Right) said it will "protect children from life-altering transgender procedures" and surgeries for "girls who identify as boys."
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Texas governor signs law banning gender-transition healthcare for minors
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill into law on Friday, banning gender-transition healthcare for children.
The law goes into effect on Sept. 1, and forbids healthcare providers in the state from performing surgeries related to gender transition to children. Likewise, healthcare providers are also not allowed to prescribe hormones or puberty blockers to children under the law.
Those who are found violating this law could have their medical license revoked.
Several exceptions are given in the law to children already undergoing gender transition, such as those currently receiving hormones or puberty blockers...
From the Center
Texas becomes largest state to ban transgender care for minors
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday signed a bill that bans transgender healthcare including puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors, making Texas the largest of the 20 states to have outlawed gender-affirming care.
Republican lawmakers across the country have promoted similar bills, saying they mistrust the consensus among major medical associations that endorse gender-affirming care as needed and even life-saving for trans youth after extensive evaluation.
Texas, the second most-populous U.S. state, has an estimated 29,800 transgender youth aged 13 to 17, according to the Williams Institute of UCLA.
The American Civil...
From the Left
Gov. Greg Abbott signs legislation barring trans youth from accessing transition-related care
Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Friday a bill that bars transgender kids from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapies, though the new law could face legal challenges before it takes effect on Sept. 1.
Senate Bill 14’s passage brings to the finish line a legislative priority for the Republican Party of Texas, which opposes any efforts to validate transgender identities. Trans kids, their parents and LGBTQ advocacy groups fiercely oppose the law, and some have vowed to stop it from going into effect.
Texas — home to one of the largest trans...
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