Banning Gender-Affirming Care in Texas

September 20, 2023

On September 1, Texas’ ban on gender-affirming health care for minors went into effect. Now, Texas is the most populous state to ban such care; the consequences will be devastating.

Known as Senate Bill 14, the law prohibits minors from receiving care such as counseling, puberty blockers, and hormone therapy. The prohibition runs contrary to the recommendations of the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, both of which recommend gender-affirming care for young people who need it. Importantly, S.B. 14 is also contrary to young trans people’s lived experiences; gender-affirming care is life-affirming and often life-saving.

Jonathan Covey, policy director of Texas Values, a conservative group in support of S.B. 14, stated that “Texas kids are safer” because of the ruling. This could not be further from the truth. Jim Vertuno notes that as the lawsuit against S.B. 14 argued, banning gender-affirming care “will have devastating consequences for transgender teens if they are unable to obtain critical treatment recommended by their physicians and parents.”

We at the Woodhull Freedom Foundation firmly believe that S.B. 14 is a cruel, draconian law. Contrary to Covey’s comments, the law puts Texas kids in danger, without access to critical medical care. The fight for sexual freedom is inextricable from the fight for trans liberation, and having accessible gender-affirming care is nonnegotiable.