Louisiana has joined the ranks of other Republican-led states imposing restrictions on transgender surgeries and treatments for minors.
The state legislature has reversed a veto by Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards on a bill known as H.B. 648 or the “Stop Harming Our Kids” Act.
The overturning of the veto on Tuesday followed a voting session in the Louisiana House, which saw a majority of 75-23, and the Senate, with a majority of 28-11.
This marked the third time the Louisiana legislature has overridden a governor’s veto since 1974.
Governor Bel Edwards vetoed the bill in the previous month.
The Act primarily bans puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex reassignment surgeries for individuals under 18.
Exceptions are made for those diagnosed with a medically verifiable disorder of sexual development.
The bill outlines a directive that requires a minor already on these treatments to be gradually taken off the drugs if a health care professional assesses that the abrupt discontinuation would lead to harm.
This process should be completed by the end of the next year.
If found in violation of these regulations, health care professionals could face a two-year suspension of their medical license.
However, the Louisiana legislature did not succeed in overriding Governor Bel Edwards’ vetoes on two other LGBT-related bills: H.B. 466, which aimed to ban discussions of gender ideology and sexual orientation in K-12 schools, similar to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Law, and H.B. 81, which sought to limit the use of names and pronouns to those approved by a student’s parents while also protecting teachers from forced usage of student-selected names and pronouns.
In a statement explaining his veto of H.B. 648, Governor Bel Edwards, a professed Catholic, stated that the bill “needlessly harms a very small population of vulnerable children, their families, and their health care professionals.”
Moreover, he expressed his expectation that “the courts will throw out this unconstitutional bill, as well.”
Contrarily, critics argue that transgender surgeries and treatments can lead to severe physical and psychological damage, including but not limited to cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cancer, stroke, infertility, and suicidal tendencies.
They also dispute the premise that one’s sex can be changed.
Moreover, research suggests that more than 80% of children experiencing gender dysphoria naturally overcome it by late adolescence without surgical or pharmaceutical interventions.
The “Stop Harming Our Kids” Act in Louisiana is slated to come into force on the first day of the coming year.
