Utah Legislature Votes to Ban Transgender Surgeries and Puberty Blockers for Children

Utah legislators voted to ban most transgender surgeries and puberty blocks for youths on Friday.

The bill SB16, passed the state Senate with a vote of 20–8; two Republican state senators joined with the chamber’s six Democrats in voting against the bill.

Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has ten working days to decide whether he will sign, veto or allow the bill to go into effect without him signing.

Last week, he spoke. KSL News Radio’s “Let Me Speak to the Governor” program that he’s “not planning to veto” Deseret News bill reported. According to the outlet, Cox said he’s had “lots of conversations” with the bill’s sponsor and other “stakeholders,” The legislation will be discussed with members of the LGBTQ community as well.

He stated that the bill was a good idea. “approaches it in the right way,” Add that “we’re going to push pause, we’re going to look at the research, we’re going to gather all of the data and make sure we’re not doing any long-term harm to our young people.”

According to sfgate.com, the state’s legislature made the bill’s passage a top priority, hearing the first draft just two days into Utah’s 2023 legislative session.

If Cox decided to veto the bill it would likely be overridden “in short order,” The Salt Lake Tribune reportedBecause it received two-thirds support from both the Senate and House, it was approved.

The measure prohibits health care providers from performing transgender surgeries or prescribing hormone therapy for minors who have not yet been diagnosed with gender dysphoria—a term that the Mayo Clinic Definitions As “the feeling of discomfort or distress … in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics.”

However, it doesn’t put a stop to minors who are already receiving hormonal therapy; the moratorium is only for new patients.

The bill demands that the Department of Health and Human Services carry out a “systemic review of the medical evidence regarding hormonal transgender treatments and provide recommendations to the Legislature,” It does not establish an end date or require that the Utah Legislature revisit the policy after the review is completed.

The legislation also imposes certain requirements on health-care providers to offer hormonal transgender treatment. There are provisions that allow minors the right to bring malpractice lawsuits against healthcare providers for treatment they provide if the individuals become incapacitated. “disaffirm consent.”

Republican state senator Mike Kennedy, a family physician and practicing surgeon, sponsored SB16. “to protect children from making irreversible changes to their bodies,” The Tribune reported.

“Our country is witnessing a radical and dangerous push for children to enter this version of healthcare. Caring for our children does not mean riding the latest radical wave. Caring for our children means stepping back from the churning waters and asking some tough, complex questions,” He stated.

Deseret News reports that Republican state Senator Todd Weiler struggled to make his decision. Self-described as a “Teacher” “big believer in parental rights,” he told the news outlet that he’s also been “startled” by the recent news coming from Western European countries—such as Sweden, the United Kingdom, and France—that have been performing surgeries and administering hormone blockers to youths for “almost a decade” It was before it was “routine” The United States is now making these changes. “moves to overhaul medical care for transgender youth.”

“With that decade longer experience, those countries … have all started putting the brakes on this,” He stated.

Despite his doubts, Weiler joined with the Democrats to oppose the legislation.

According to Deseret News, Utah’s LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Utah continues to oppose the legislation.

“I’ve seen little evidence that lawmakers are really listening to families with transgender children [and] seeing the positive impact of this care,” Equality Utah’s executive director Troy Williams told the news outlet, later saying in a text to the Tribune, “This debate is far from over. It will next move to the courts.”

Kennedy predicts litigation on the issue, Breitbart reported.

From NTD News