On Wednesday, Texas lawmakers voted in the affirmative, for a bill that would ban gender procedures and therapies for minors. The legislation now heads to the governor's desk.
Texas Senate Bill 14, prohibits transgender youth from getting hormone therapy needed to transition. It also requires those youth who are already receiving such care to be "weaned" off in a “medically appropriate” manner.
According to the Texas Tribune, the bill passed the state Senate, 19-12, accepting the House version of Senate Bill 14, with a majority of Republican support. Sent to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, the bill is expected to be signed into law,
which would take effect Sept. 1.
Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the bill, including Rep. Shawn Thierry (D), who represents the Houston area. In siding with the GOP, Thierry said, regarding banning gender-affirming care for kids-
"I just don't think this is something that we can play politics with. Children are not political pawns,"
- Rep. Shawn Thierry (D) TX
GOP state Sen. Bob Hall said, according to a Fox News report -
"We are the Legislature — our job is to protect people,"… "We protect children against lots of things. We don’t let them smoke. We don’t let them drink. We don’t let them buy lottery cards. … And so we are doing the right thing."
- Sen. Bob Hall (R) TX
Criticizing the legislation, advocates for the trans community and medical groups claimed, the treatment is vital to the mental health for trans youth. In a tweet last week, when House lawmakers passed the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said-
"Politicians who voted for this bill cruelly turned their backs on families, science, and the safety and lives of children," "Trans people have always existed and always will. This is not the end."
-American Civil Liberties Union of Texas
No matter the position that individual Americans take on the transgender issue, the frank truth is that this nations youth need someone to stand in the gap for them, in seeking time for them to decide what they really desire in life. This time needs to be devoid of pressure by medical professionals, school authority’s or a parent’s opinion on making a change to their child’s physical body, with such monumental risks and lifelong consequences. These youth need time to mature and then make those decisions.
Though the opposition is strong – letting science takes its course, over time, may allow these youth to make a more common sense, less emotionally charged choice.
“Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic."
-Thomas Huxley