Arkansas Ban on Transgender Healthcare - IHSS Human Rights blog

Oscar Rawson

Mr. Roddy

IHSS

4/9/21


On Tuesday, the state of Arkansas passed the "Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act" which banned essential healthcare for transgender individuals under the age of 18. This act bans hormone therapy, which allows trans people to change their appearances to match that of their actual gender. The bill was passed through an override, after Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed it on Monday.  Hutchinson has stated that the bill creates "new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people." The governor has done even more to speak out against the bill. He also stated that the bill was "a result of the cultural war in America." Hutchinson's stance is basically that it should be up to the parents and doctors to decide what is best for trans youth. He has a point, too. The purpose in passing this bill is not to protect children, it's to fuel hate towards transgender individuals.  One of the sponsors of the bill, state representative Robin Lundstrum, has commented thoroughly on the bill. The representative stated: Those kids are precious. Some of them may choose to be transgender when they're older. That's OK, that's their choice." He also said "But when they're under 18, they need to grow up first. That's a big decision, there's no going back." He is wrong. Both treatments that the bill focuses on, hormone therapy and puberty blockers, are both fully reversible. Anyone who takes these treatments is able to stop taking them at a later date, and the effects are easily reversible. That's why this is such a disgusting human rights violation, as it prevents individuals from having access to essential healthcare across an entire state. 

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