Louisiana Governor rejects bill aimed at protecting children from transgender procedures.

Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill Protecting Children from Gender-Change Surgeries

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has vetoed a bill aimed at safeguarding children from transgender gender-change surgeries and other procedures, such as administering cross-sex hormones to minors.

The bill, known as the “Stop Harming Our Kids Act,” was passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature in early June. It sought to prohibit hormone treatments, puberty-blocking drugs, and gender reassignment surgeries for minors. Critics argue that these procedures, like double mastectomies for girls identifying as boys, amount to mutilation.

“If HB 648 doesn’t become law, we will be sending a horrible message to our children,” expressed Louisiana State Senator Jeremy Stine, a Republican, on Twitter. “Our kids deserve to know that they are loved, valued, and perfect just as God created them,” he added.

Despite hopes that Edwards would not veto the bill, he confirmed its rejection in a letter to the Republican Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. In the letter, Edwards argued that the bill threatens specialists’ licenses, removes parental rights in healthcare decisions, and constitutes an assault on psychologically distressed children.

Opposition to the Bill

Edwards emphasized that there is no evidence of gender-change surgeries being performed in Louisiana and claimed that the bill addresses a non-existent problem while blocking necessary medical interventions for children with gender dysphoria. He acknowledged the need to prohibit transgender surgeries but criticized the bill’s lack of clarity and inclusion of provisions that overshadow the appropriate use of puberty blockers and hormone replacements.

Furthermore, Edwards pointed out several “structural defects” in the bill that made it “ripe for a veto,” including insufficient clarity on which medical interventions would be subject to penalties or license revocation.

With the governor’s veto, the current regulations on transgender procedures for children in Louisiana remain unchanged.