A New Louisiana Law Bans Transgender People Under 18 From Receiving Health Care In The State

A recent legislation in Louisiana has imposed restrictions on individuals under the age of 18 who identify as transgender, preventing them from accessing gender-affirming healthcare within the state.

Louisiana House Bill 648, which has now become Louisiana Act 466, restricts gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors. A new bill, authored by State Rep. Gabe Firment (R, Dist. 22) of Pollock, seeks to prohibit hormone therapies, medications that halt puberty, and other forms of gender-affirming care for children, as well as gender-affirming procedures.

“After conducting extensive research, it became increasingly clear that taking action to safeguard Louisiana’s children was imperative,” expressed State Rep. Firment.

The bill, known as the ‘Stop Harming Our Kids Act’, was vetoed by Governor John Bel Edwards during the 2023 Legislative Session, but lawmakers successfully overrode the veto in July. The new law has sparked significant controversy within the LGBTQ+ community throughout the state.

“I think that what we’ve seen already is that, of the very small number of children who are impacted by this, their parents are afraid for their children,” said Ann Lowrey, CEO of the Central Louisiana AIDS Support Services. “They’re considering moves out of state.”

Rep. Firment expressed his concern about the influence of transgender messaging on social media and its potential impact on his 13-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son. He wants to ensure that they are not swayed by societal pressures.

“Giving children powerful experimental drugs is detrimental to their health, and the point of the legislation was simply to protect kids from harm,” Rep. Firment said.

According to a recent study by the Louisiana Department of Health, there were no gender referral procedures performed on children in the state between 2017 and 2021. The study was commissioned by a representative and approved by lawmakers during the 2022 legislative session. The study was cited by Gov. Edwards as a reason for his veto.

Only 800,000 children were enrolled in Medicaid, and out of those, a mere 465 children were diagnosed by a healthcare provider with gender dysphoria. Fifty-seven children were identified as potential candidates for puberty blockers or hormone replacements. Lowrey suggests that lawmakers may be unnecessarily creating problems.

“I don’t know what makes legislatures believe that they’re better equipped to determine whether or not a child should be able to access proven, life-saving medical care, and that parents should not have the right to participate in those decisions with a healthcare provider,” said Lowrey.