Tennessee Governor Signs Bill Banning Gender-Affirming Treatment In Children

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee approved legislation that bans gender-affirming hormone treatment in children.

On May 18, Bill Lee signed the bill into law. The legislation forbids doctors from prescribing gender-affirming hormone treatments to prepubescent minors. LGBTQ+ advocates say the bill addresses an invented problem and condemned the measure. Executive Director of the Tennessee Equality Project called the legislation a “slap in the face” to transgender youth.

Michael Reding, practice manager at Rager Adolescent Health, a medical office specialising in healthcare for LGBTQ+ youth said that offering hormone treatment to minors is “not done by anyone that we’re aware of in the state.” Reding said that “codifying the current standards” would not affect anything doctors do or anything the state does.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health recommended that children should experience puberty before they receive hormone treatments like puberty blockers.

Governor Lee has signed several bills regarding transgender people.

1. Earlier this week, he approved a bill that requires public government and business facilities to post a sign if they allow transgender people to use the bathroom according to their gender identity. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2021.
   
   LGBTQ+ advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign said that the bill was discriminatory and called the signs “offensive and humiliating”.
2. Lee signed a bill that allows schools to be sued if transgender people are allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms in accordance with their gender identity.
3. He also signed a bill that requires school districts to alert parents 30 days in advance before students are taught about sexual orientation or gender identity. Parents can opt their students out of the lesson.
4. Another bill was signed by Lee which required that children over the age of 10 submit legal documents showing their assigned sex before they can compete in school sports.