Puerto Rico passed a law banning sex-change surgeries and hormone therapy for those under the age of 21. The law, signed by Republican Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón, seeks to “protect the physical and emotional integrity of children and adolescents” and prohibits “medical practices that may generate irreversible consequences in its natural development.”
Puerto Rico recognizes legal adulthood as beginning at the age of 21, making the law one of the strongest measures against transgenderism across U.S. territories.
“Minors, having not yet reached the necessary emotional, cognitive, and physical maturity, are particularly vulnerable to making decisions that can have irreversible consequences,” the law states. “Therefore, it is the State’s duty to ensure their comprehensive well-being.” Those who violate the law may face up to 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Puerto Rican Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, the bill’s author, celebrated the legislation’s signing. “The protection of our children and the well-being of all minors is fundamental and non-negotiable!” he wrote.
Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ Federation vowed to challenge the law. Justin Jesús Santiago, the federation’s director, said in a statement, “Let there be no doubt: we are going to fight. This law is cruel and inhumane and will be fought in court and in all necessary spaces.”
The U.S. territory’s law comes amid a social shift to crack down on transgender initiatives targeting minors. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January demanding that minors be protected from physical and chemical mutilation.
“It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures,” the order said.
