The Battle Over Anti-LGBT Legislation
Written by: Anonymous Illustration: Ace Fisher
There has been an increase in anti-LGBT legislation all across America in 2023. According to the American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU) from data taken on October 3rd (2023), 496 anti-trans bills have been debated this year, a record breaking amount compared to around 200 in 2022. Numbers like these leave many asking; what exactly do these bills contain and what does it mean for transgender persons?
National Public Radio (NPR) says that 86 percent of these bills are targeted towards trans youth, containing rules related to locker rooms, bathrooms, and sports. Some require “outing" of trans kids to their parents. One bill in Texas goes as far as having Child Protective Services (CPS) investigate the parents of children who are medically transitioning.
Kansas contributes to this new wave of legislation, like Senate Bill Twelve (SB12), introduced on January 9th (2023) the bill is sponsored by Kansas Senators Mike Thompson (R) and Mark Stephan (R), who titled it the, “Kansas Child Mutilation Prevention Act”. This bill restricts gender reassessment surgery and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for any individual under the age of 21. It would be considered a class D felony (more than 5 years but less than 10 years in prison) to provide these medications and procedures to those individuals. The bill has not been brought up since January 11th, as it was referred to the Committee on Public Health, who have yet to speak of this bill. Kansas is following 22 states who have already banned this affirming care and many others who have discussed bills similar to SB12.
Former Kansas State Representative Stephany Byers (D), said “This bill creates a sense of hopelessness for trans kids and their families.” Amanda Mogoi, a nurse practitioner in Wichita says, “Health care should not be restricted or impeded by individuals who know nothing of a patient's medical or personal circumstances.”
Many healthcare providers agree with Byers and Mogoi saying that this bill is a dangerous government intrusion on healthcare. Also stating that it could further worsen the mental and emotional health of transgender people. Major medical groups such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology and the Academy of Pediatrics have the same beliefs as Byers and Mogoi on bills like SB12.
One of the concerns for allowing these procedures is that these changes are irreversible, meaning if someone later decides to detransition, or stop medical and social transitioning, they will be unable to. This is untrue, as many different forms of hormone replacement therapy can be reversed just by stopping the use of them. Some effects will not be able to be reversed, such as the thickening of vocal cords on testosterone and chest growth with the use of estrogen. However, many other changes such as fat redistribution, hair texture, and sweating differences can be completely reversed. Many who think this way also believe that children are “too young” and not “mentally mature enough” to make these sorts of decisions. Some even say that being transgender is a mental illness.
There haven’t been a lot of studies on the psychological side of transgender people and so there aren’t many available disputes. That being said, well-respected psychologist Sigmund Frued said that “During the genital stage of development, the child has overcome latency, and made associations with one gender.” He shows that even in the early stages of mental progress, there is an acknowledgment of gender and gender identity.
In conclusion, it is extremely easy to see that the current political climate is attacking the LGBTQ+ community. These attacks will continue unless people start to communicate how detrimental these acts really are. In a time with increased misinformation circulating, misinformed viewpoints have reemerged, making no attempt to mask many individuals' hate. These people, misinformed or uninformed, guided by their convictions instead of science, are leading the United States to become a less free and prosperous place and instead a more divided and hostile environment.
