A growing number of states have enacted laws restricting access to gender-affirming care for minors, with 25 states now having such legislation on the books. While each state’s law varies, they generally prohibit children from receiving puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and irreversible sex reassignment surgery.
The majority of these laws were passed in the past two years, with some facing legal challenges. In addition, several states have also banned transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that do not align with their biological sex, citing concerns about fairness and safety.
Critics of these laws argue that they are harmful to children who identify as transgender, and that they are driven by political motivations rather than a genuine concern for the well-being of young people. Kellan Baker, executive director of the Whitman Walker Institute, a LGBTQ research and advocacy group, told NPR that these laws are part of a broader trend of restrictions on transgender people’s ability to move through the world.
Despite these claims, a 2022 study by UCLA’s Williams Institute estimated that 0.5 percent of American adults and 1.3 million people identify as transgender, while a separate poll found that nearly half of Americans believe that young people are being influenced by culture to identify as LGBTQ+.
The United States Supreme Court has also agreed to take on a case challenging Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers and irreversible sex reassignment surgeries for minors, with the state’s attorney general arguing that the law is necessary to protect children from irreversible treatments.
