Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill on Saturday that bans gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, the latest in a series of transphobic laws that Republicans have pushed in the state and across the country.
Senate Bill 16 prohibits providers from performing surgical procedures on youth if the purpose is for gender-affirming treatment. The new law also created a moratorium on future access to hormone treatment for new young patients from May 3, and the grandparents of young patients are currently receiving hormone treatment before that date.
The law directs the Utah Department of Health to conduct a “systematic review of the medical evidence” regarding gender-affirming treatments. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that hormone therapy is appropriate for early teens, while gender-affirming procedures like “top surgery” — which helps match a trans person’s breasts to their gender identity — are appropriate for adults.
“Legislation that affects our most vulnerable youth requires careful consideration and consideration,” the Republican governor said in a statement. “While it is not a perfect bill, we are grateful that Sen. [Michael] Kennedy’s more nuanced and wise approach to this very divisive issue. Many experts, states and countries around the world are pausing permanent and life-changing treatments for new patients until better research can help determine the long-term consequences.
Before the governor signed the bill, the ACLU’s Utah chapter urged Cox to veto proposed legislation banning gender-affirming health care. In a letter to the governor, the organization said the bill would harm medical care and violate constitutional rights.
“Trans children are children – they deserve to grow up without constant political attacks on their lives and health care; we will defend that right,” the civil rights group tweeted after Cox signed the bill.
The Republican governor is no stranger to anti-trans legislation. Last year, Cox vetoed banning trans students from playing on teams that match their gender identity. While he “struggles to understand a lot about … I always try to err on the side of kindness, compassion and compassion,” he said at the time.
Utah’s GOP legislature overrode Cox’s veto, but a judge overturned the ban in August.
Republican lawmakers across the country are flooding state legislatures with proposals that threaten bodily autonomy, including abortion access and gender-affirming health care. Utah is just one of nearly a dozen states where lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills trying to limit trans health care access.
According to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, teenagers with gender dysphoria can start taking hormones at the age of 14, and can undergo certain surgeries at the age of 15 or 17. While the group admits there are potential risks, it said last year that it was unethical. withholding such treatment for adolescents while reducing the risk of suicide.
“We know many families are scared and wondering what will happen next. We are here for you, and looking for solutions,” Equality Utah, the state’s largest LGBTQ rights group, said Saturday.
“We are working with the legal team to assess the full ramifications of this bill. It is clear that legal challenges are not possible,” the group said. “This is not the end of this work. In many ways, it has already begun.