Missouri lawmakers have passed legislation banning sex change surgeries and access to puberty blockers and hormones for minors.
State legislators also passed legislation that bars biological men who identify as women from competing on female sports teams, prevents Medicaid health care from covering the costs of gender-affirming procedures for individuals of any age, while also barring sex change surgeries for prisoners and inmates.
Under the law protecting women’s sports, schools that allow biological boys who identify as transgender girls to compete on female sports teams would lose state funding.
The legislation now heads to the desk of Gov. Mike Parson, who is expected to sign it.
“When you have kids being surgically and or chemically altered for life for no good reason, yes, it’s time for the government to get involved,” Republican Rep. Brad Hudson explained on the House floor the day the bill was passed.
The Missouri chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union blasted the bills, stating that officials were causing the erasure of transgender individuals.
“Both bans attempt to erase transness from Missouri. Every person in the state should be alarmed by this weaponization of the government to intimidate people through the denial of basic health care and exclusion from extracurricular activities,” according to the press release.
“The Attorney General has already shown that erasing trans youth is just the start of the despot tactics politicians will utilize to eliminate vulnerable Missourians from public if it will further their personal political pursuits,” the release added. “The ACLU of Missouri will continue to explore all options to fight these bans and to expand the rights of trans Missourians.”
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft supported the measure as a protection of minors, but does not believe the state should regulate the procedures for adults.
“I disagree with it. I don’t think people should do it. But there’s a difference between what I think and where I think the government should be involved,” Ashcroft said in an interview. “If you’re an adult and you want to spend your own money, I disagree with you. But it’s not my place to tell you that you can’t.”
