Texas State House Approves Gender-Affirming Medical Treatments Ban On Minors

A bill banning certain medical treatments for transgender minors is just two steps away from being sent to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

A Texas House bill that banned gender-affirming medical treatments for minors and encouraged doctors to wean current patients off these treatments has been approved after more than five hours of debate, much of it with a heavy police presence and many members of the gallery looking on.

The newly-approved legislation, which goes directly against the recommendations of most major US medical organizations, would fully prevent transgender minors from receiving medical care affirming their gender identity. This bill is nearly becoming law in Texas, with the Texas State Senate slated to approve the legislation. After the State Senate approves the bill, the State House must approve the bill once again.

When Governor Greg Abbott signs the bill into law, the bill will be challenged in federal court on violations of the US Constitution’s equal protection clause. According to Movement Equality Map, 17 other states have passed similar bans. Laws in at least two states are currently stayed as litigation in state/federal courts continues.

There are an estimated 29,800 transgender Texans between the ages of 13 and 17, according to a recent statistical analysis by the Williams Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles. Only about one-third of Texans know a transgender person, and even fewer among Republicans, according to the Texas Politics Project.