Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Congresswoman from Georgia, plans to introduce legislation Friday that would prohibit doctors and other medical professionals providing certain gender-affirming services to transgender children.
Gender-affirming care can come in many forms, including medication and therapy. Greene’s bill would restrict how doctors can treat trans children by making it a felony at the federal level to prescribe medication that blocks the effects of puberty in children. The bill would also make it illegal to give trans children surgeries that would permanently change their sex organs — despite the fact that such surgeries are typically only available to people ages 18 or olderIn the U.S.
The safe and reversible medication called puberty blocking agents is safe and effective. They delay the physical changes that are caused by puberty. Their use has been proven to be effective. significantly reduce suicide risk in transgender children, who can suffer from severe emotional distress as a result of developing secondary sex characteristics, like breasts or facial hair, that don’t match their gender. Children experiencing puberty blockers are also recommended by doctors. precocious pubertyA condition where a person experiences puberty too early.
Greene incorrectly suggested in an interview that the effects of puberty blocking drugs are completely reversible. Fox NewsThe medication can permanently affect children.
“Kids are too young to make these awful decisions that will affect them and will be permanent for the rest of their lives,” she said.
Her statement overlooks the fact that these decisions are made by children along with their parents or guardians, and under the guidance of trained professionals. It is very rare for people to do this. “detransition”or regret it after the transition.
During the interview, Carlson wrongly likened puberty blockers to “chemical castration.”
Carlson isn’t alone in making such blatantly false and alarmist statements — recently, a number of far right commentators on social media have targeted Boston Children’s Hospital, incorrectly claiming that the hospital has been performing sexual reassignment surgeries with children.
In a statement, the hospital stated this week that it had received a large influx violent threats due to transphobic fear mongering.
“We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms, and we reject the false narrative upon which they are based,” Boston Children’s Hospital said in a statement.
Greene’s bill has very little chance of passing in the Democratic-controlled House, but it may be an indication of the dangerous proposals Congress will embrace if the GOP wins the midterm elections this fall.
Numerous medical organizations have deemed gender-affirming care life-saving. Chase Strangio, trans activist and lawyer, shared his experiences in gender-affirming healthcare. In an op-ed Truthout Last year.
“My personal experience of this care being life-saving is echoed in decades of data,” Strangio wrote. “When trans people are able to access the gender-affirming health care that we need, our mental health improves dramatically.”
