Alabama bill would ban hormone treatment for transgender minors

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Source: Associated Press

Bill would ban hormone treatment for transgender minors

By KIM CHANDLER
February 9, 2022

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A legislative committee has advanced a proposal that would prohibit transgender minors from being treated with puberty-blockers, hormone treatment or surgery to affirm their gender identity.

The Senate Health Committee advanced the bill, which would make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to prescribe puberty-blockers or hormones or perform surgery to aid in the gender transition of people 18 years(backslash) old or younger. The bill now moves to the full Alabama Senate.

“This bill is strictly about protecting children,” Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt of Trussville told the committee. “It just prohibits medical treatments on otherwise healthy minors. Those medical treatments are surgeries, puberty-blockers and cross-sex hormones,” Shelnutt said. He added that he understands those surgeries aren’t performed in Alabama, but he said it is important to ban hormonal treatment.

A parent, a transgender teen and other advocates spoke against the bill. They said would harm kids instead of protecting them. They also said the legislation reflects a deep misunderstanding of transgender people and the treatment they can receive.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/health-business-alabama-gender-identity-79029c151327237ff141909759bf9fee