Texas bans gender-affirming care for transgender youth

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas has banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Gov. Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 into law on Saturday, June 2, prohibiting any gender-affirming procedures and treatments on minors. The law will go into effect September 1, 2023.

Texas is now the 18th state in the nation, and the most populous, to restrict transition-related care for minors

Texas House debates gender-affirming care for transgender children

SB 14 has already cleared the Senate, but was sent back to a committee May 2 right before it was set to be debated at the House.

Senate Bill 14 was hotly debated at the Capitol this past legislative session. LGBTQ advocates against the bill were ushered out of the Capitol by DPS officers while the transgender youth healthcare ban was being debated on the House floor.

Medical organizations nationwide have opposed the bans and supported the medical care for youth when appropriately administered. Lawsuits have been filed in several states where bans have been enacted this year.

The debate over banning transgender youth healthcare has made headlines in recent years. In 2022, Gov. Abbott directed state agencies to investigate gender-affirming care for transgender kids as child abuse.

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The governor had previously directed the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to issue a determination on whether gender reassignment surgery constituted as child abuse in 2021.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.