Alabama passes bill to CRIMINALIZE hormone treatment, puberty blockers and gender-change surgery for minors and force teachers to disclose to parents if their child claims to be trans
Alabama lawmakers passed a bill that would make it a felony for a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers or perform gender-change surgery on minors
The bill would also require school counselors, nurses and others to tell parents if a child discloses they believe they are transgender
The bill now goes to Republican Governor Kay Ivey for her signature
The Alabama Senate also voted 26-5 to approve legislation mandating that K-12 students can only use multi-person bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the gender on their original birth certificate
Senate Republicans added language that would 'prohibit classroom instruction or discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity' for students K- 5
By ASSOCIATED PRESS and GINA MARTINEZ FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 20:17 BST, 7 April 2022
Alabama lawmakers passed a bill Thursday outlawing 'gender-affirming medical care' for children, including hormone treatment, puberty blockers and gender-change surgery.
The measure would also force teachers to tell parents if a 'minor's perception of his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with the minor's sex.'
On Thursday the Alabama House of Representatives voted 66-28 in favor of legislation that would make it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, for a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones or perform surgery to aid in the gender transition of someone under the age of 19.
The bill now goes to Republican Governor Kay Ivey for her signature - though she has not yet said whether she will greenlight the measure.
Alabama is just the latest red state to promote legislation aimed at curbing gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth, following the lead of other states such as Florida and Texas which have considered similar measures in recent weeks.
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'This is wrong,' Rafferty said. 'Y'all sit there and campaign on family being the foundation of our nation... but what this bill is doing is totally undermining that. It's totally undermining family rights, health rights and access to health care.'
Meanwhile Republican Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, a sponsor of the House version of the bill, argued on Thursday that trans children are not old enough to make decisions about gender-affirming medication.
'Their brains are not developed to make the decisions long term about what these medications and surgeries do to their body,' Allen said.
Jeff Walker, father to a 15-year-old trans daughter pleaded with Governor Ivey, who has not yet indicated whether she will sign, to veto the bill.
'I want the governor to know that she doesn´t have to sign this, she can veto it,' he said. 'All you are doing is hurting Alabama families with these bills.'
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Republicans in the Senate also added language that would 'prohibit classroom instruction or discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity' for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade.
The Alabama proposal, which has been compared to the controversial 'Don't Say Gay' measure, goes further than Florida's law, which only includes grades K-3.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has warned states such laws and policies may violate the Constitution and federal law.
'Today's vote in Alabama will only serve to harm kids,' she said.
The topic of transgender and LGBTQ identity has become one of the GOP´s 'wedge' issues aimed at securing votes because they are popular with the party's base.
Last month Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a parental rights bill that bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on 'sexual orientation' or 'gender identity' in kindergarten through third grade.
'In Florida, we not only know that parents have a right to be involved, we insist that parents have a right to be involved,' DeSantis said before signing the bill.
'We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination,' DeSantis added.
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It has also caused problems for Disney, which faced backlash from customers and employees for not immediately opposing the bill when it was first passed.
It will become law from July 1, and teachers who breach its regulations can be sued by parents.
Disney issued a statement condemning DeSantis' signing of the bill. The statement read: 'Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.'
'Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.
'We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country,' the statement continued.
President Joe Biden responded to the signing of the bill as well, tweeting: 'Every student deserves to feel safe and welcome in the classroom. Our LGBTQI+ youth deserve to be affirmed and accepted just as they are. My Administration will continue to fight for dignity and opportunity for every student and family — in Florida and around the country.'