Texas Democrat cites science to ban minors from trans medical procedures.

Democratic Lawmaker Cites Science in Support of Banning Transgender Medical Procedures for Minors

Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-146) Explains Her Decision

After the Texas House advanced a bill on Friday that would ban transgender procedures for minors in the state, Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-146) released a statement explaining why she voted in favor of the ban. Thierry cited scientific data and conversations with constituents as the basis for her decision.

Thierry voted to ban minors from receiving “GnRH-analogs, (i.e. “puberty blockers”), cross sex hormones, and to undergo irreversible surgeries when experiencing gender dysphoria.” She believes that this position is rooted in sound policy that supports the health, development, and overall well-being of minors.

Protecting Minors from Harmful Acts

Thierry notes that most adults in the U.S. believe in protecting minors from acts that expose them to an increased risk of harm. She believes that this same logic must apply when treating gender and body dysphoria in children.

Hostile Activists and Personal Attacks

Thierry faced opposition from “hostile activists” from the political Left who made “nasty political threats to influence my vote against the bill,” including “personal, and even racist, attacks on me as an African American woman.” Despite this, Thierry made her decision as a “thoughtful legislator, mother, woman of faith, and child advocate.”

The Science Behind the Decision

Thierry used scientific data to explain her decision to ban transgender medical procedures for minors. She believes that hormonal suppression of puberty may permanently alter a child’s neurodevelopment and that drugs like GnRH-analogs and cross-sex hormones can cause harm to a child’s health. Thierry also notes that children as young as 8, 9, or 10 years of age are wholly incapable of understanding that these medical treatments may require that they remain medical patients for a lifetime.

Thierry believes that several European countries have taken the lead in reverting to a more cautious approach on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in minors. Finland now recommends psychotherapy as the first-line treatment for gender-dysphoric youth.

Thierry’s decision to ban transgender medical procedures for minors is rooted in her belief that the safety and well-being of all young people should come before political expediency.