Kevin Stitt, the Governor of Oklahoma, recently signed a bill on Monday that banned gender-affirming care for minors with the possibility of healthcare professionals being charged with a felony. Senate Bill 613 does bar healthcare professionals from receiving gender-affirming care to those under 18 in the form of puberty-blocking medication, surgeries, and hormone treatments.
A provider of health care that would be accused of violating this law could face multiple felony charges. The ban has already taken effect immediately under the emergency clause- leaving certain exemptions for minors who are currently receiving the treatment.
Kevin Stitt Signs Bill In Oklahoma That Could Harm Transgender Youths
Kevin Stitt’s approval of the measures has made Oklahoma one of the states seeking to restrict access for transgender youth to receive health care services. In a press release, the Republican governor stated that he had previously called for a statewide ban on all forms of irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors last year.
Therefore, he was quite thrilled to sign the current bill into law that would seemingly protect the kids. He further stated that people couldn’t turn a blind eye anymore to what was transpiring across the nation. Since he was a governor, he felt proud to stand up for what was right, and ban transition surgeries which were life-altering.
But, Kevin Stitt might find some opposition in the way, as Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU of Oklahoma had previously sworn to defend the rights of the transgender youth in court if this ban be signed into law. The organizations recently mentioned that the lawmakers of Oklahoma had pushed a very dangerous bill that could potentially jeopardize the lives and health of transgender youth.
