The Arkansas Parliament defied a veto by Governor Asa Hutchinson: All medical and surgical treatments for under 18-year-olds that result in the removal or change of gender characteristics will soon be banned in the US state, as will the Chamber of Deputies and Senate in the capital Little Rock decided. Doctors who disregard the ban face fines.
The text of the law speaks of preventing transsexual young people from “experimenting”. It also states that according to the current status of clinical studies, the risks of a transition would “far outweigh” the benefits.
The chairman of the conservative organization Family Council, Jerry Cox, described the parliamentary decision as “really good news”. “Sex reassignments can cause children to become sterile and scarred for life,” said Cox. Doctors do not know what long-term consequences such treatments would have for children. “That’s why a lot of people equate them with children’s experiments.”
“New Standards”
Governor Hutchinson, however, argued that the state should not presume to place itself “at the center of every medical, human and ethical matter”. Passing the law would create “new standards of legislative interference in the affairs of doctors and parents as they deal with one of the most complex and sensitive issues affecting young people”. Leading medical associations have expressed concern that “denying the best medical care to trans youths can lead to significant harm to young people, from suicidal tendencies and social isolation to increased drug use,” said the Republican head of government.
Asa Hutchinson: The law is “the product of the culture war in America”
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned of “devastating” consequences of the ban in Arkansas. “This bill will drive families, doctors and businesses out of the state, and it sends a horrific and heartbreaking message to transgender people who watch it with fear.” At the same time, ACLU announced a lawsuit against the law.
The chairman of the Human Rights Campaign, which specializes in LGTBIQ rights, Alphonso David, fears that the legislation will be extended to the federal level. Arkansas has placed itself at the “head of a downward spiral” that is “driven by fear and disinformation,” tweeted David. His organization referred to dozens of legislative initiatives in several US states that aim to restrict transgender rights.
wa / fw (afp, dpa)
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