Louisiana’s conservative legislature passes ban on gender surgeries for minors, awaits Democratic governor’s approval.

Louisiana Set to Ban Gender Surgeries for Transgender Youths

Louisiana looks likely to become the latest state to enact laws banning gender surgeries for transgender youths after the Republican-controlled legislature sent a bill to the state’s Democratic governor.

The House passed the bill on Tuesday in a vote of 75-25 following the Senate voting the legislation through on Monday in a 29-10 vote.

What the Bill Entails

• House Bill 648 would ban those under 18 in Louisiana from receiving puberty-blocking medications and hormone treatments with or without parental consent.
• The bill includes protocols for holding healthcare professionals that provide treatments to minors accountable by revoking their medical license for a minimum of two years.

Republican state Rep. Michael Firment authored the bill and gained some Democratic votes in the process. Firment listed in a tweet that “nobody is born in the wrong body. Puberty blockers are not reversible. Puberty blockers are chemical castration. Gender ideology is the new religion, made-up, a social construct, a cult belief” concerning House Bill 648.

Late last month, the bill was shot down in the Health and Welfare Committee, but the Senate voted to revive the legislation last week, quickly moving the ban through the floor.

Governor’s Response

In a news conference last month about the 2023 legislative session budget, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA) said he “almost never says in advance” whether he will veto a bill or not.

“I don’t think they [the bills] address any real problems in our state,” Edwards said about the issues Louisiana constituents are concerned about.

Edwards was elected as governor in 2016. He beat his Republican opponent in reelection, Eddie Rispone, with around 51% of the vote in 2019, according to election results.

“It appears to be an effort to simply do in Louisiana what we’ve seen some other states do,” Edwards said. “I don’t know whether there’s some sort of a national playbook at issue here.”

Advocates Speak Out

Republicans hold a veto-proof majority in the legislature, and bills aligned with the party agenda have been passed easily. Advocates are speaking out against the rush of anti-LGBT legislation.

“This is a dark day in Louisiana,” the American Civil Liberties Union for Louisiana said in a statement after the committee pushed forward a bill last week.

“Lawmakers have turned their backs on democratic processes, science, parental rights, and the health and safety of children. Our hearts break for transgender youth in our state who have repeatedly been attacked by their own elected leaders for political gain,” it added.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Edwards and Firment for comment.