ABOVE: Tate Reeves. Photo via Reeves’ Facebook.
Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Feb. 28 signed House Bill 1125, a bill banning health care treatments for gender dysphoria for transgender youth.
The legislation also prohibits doctors from providing such care and strips parents of the right to guide medical decisions for their own children.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi issued the following statement:
“This is a devastating development for transgender youth in Mississippi and heartbreaking for all of us who love and support them. This care was already difficult to access across the state for transgender people of any age, but this law shuts the door on best-practice medical care and puts politics between parents, their children and their doctors. But this fight is far from over — we are determined to build a future where Mississippi is a safe place to raise every child. Our politicians continue to fail trans youth, so it is up to each and every one of us to rise against their fear and ignorance and surround these young people with strength, safety and love.”
Mississippi is the fifth state in the country and the third state in the past month to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth after Utah and South Dakota passed similar bans. Similar laws in Alabama and Arkansas are currently enjoined by federal courts.
“Barely two months into the year, lawmakers in three states have made it their priority to deny transgender and nonbinary youth the ability to access best-practice medical care that many rely on to simply lead happy, healthy lives,” said Kasey Suffredini, vice president of advocacy and government affairs at the Trevor Project.
“Decisions around medical care should be made between parents, patients and doctors — not by politicians,” Suffredini continued. “While this news is heartbreaking, we want to remind trans and nonbinary young people in Mississippi that the Trevor Project has your back. We will continue working with our partners and advocates on the ground to challenge these laws and fight for a world where all young people feel safe, supported and seen for who they truly are.”
According to the Trevor Project’s new polling, 86 percent of trans and nonbinary youth say recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of trans people have negatively impacted their mental health. When asked about new policies that will ban doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth, 74 percent of trans and nonbinary youth said it made them feel angry, 59 percent felt stressed, 56 percent felt sad, 48 percent felt hopeless, 47 percent felt scared, 46 percent felt helpless and 45 percent felt nervous.
