The Senate Legislature voted for Law 28-7. The bill, titled the Arkansas Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, now goes to Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson’s desk. If Hutchinson’s name seems familiar lately, it could be because he recently signed a law against trans sports. However, he has not yet commented on whether or not he supports this particular bill. That’s part of why it’s incredibly important for people to mobilize now in support of transgender people while they still have time to veto the bill.
What arguments urge people who support this legislation? A false, misguided belief that refusing gender-affirming care will help or protect people. For example, the Washington Post reported that Republican Senator Alan Clark on Monday described gender-affirming health care as “experimental” at best and a “serious threat to a child’s well-being” at worst. He said while his heart is “running out” of affected parents, gender-affirming health care is not the answer. Of course, gender-affirming health care from a doctor is the exact answer.
Some also mistakenly characterize transgender people as a choice. For example, during a House of Representatives meeting prior to the bill being passed, CNN reported that Republican MP Robin Lundstrum said regarding transgender youth, “Some of them may choose to be transgender when they get older. That’s okay, that’s your choice. “She said that people under the age of 18“ have to grow up first ”.
Mind you, transgender adolescents experience disproportionately high levels of bullying, harassment and bodily harm compared to their cisgender counterparts. They are more likely to drop out of school without a diploma and become homeless. As adults, they are more exposed to discrimination in the workplace and in the home. They are also more likely to have thoughts of suicide and some mental health issues like anxiety and depression. The idea that people must “grow up” about identity is not only deeply patronizing, but also deeply dangerous when it comes to delaying gender affirmative care.
This concern is also a real problem for doctors. As reported by the local sales point KARK, the pediatrician Dr. Natalie Burr of Arkansas that part of her job as a general pediatrician is coordinating care. She went on to say that she never thought that “one day it might be illegal for me to refer one of my patients to appropriate care”.
“I’ve heard from local colleagues that since this bill was passed in the House of Representatives, the number of emergency rooms for thought and suicide attempts has increased among our transgender patients,” said Burr.
Mind you, gender-affirming health care in some age groups can be as simple (but important and basic) as having a doctor certifying a child and encouraging parents to use the child’s pronouns and name. While some Republicans have sought to add to the hysteria and create the impression that gender-affirming health care comes with an arbitrary snap of the fingers, it just isn’t the reality. There is also the reality that some care, like puberty blockers, is reversible if a person so desires.
Fortunately, some advocates and supporters spoke on behalf of transgender youth during Monday’s hearing. For example, Lee Beers, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, summarized the two main causes of the law’s harmfulness, saying, “First, it threatens the health and well-being of transgender youth, and second, it blames politicians, not pediatricians medical care for a child. “
As Daily Kos has reported in the past, it is difficult enough for transgender people to receive adequate and adequate health care, even if that care has nothing to do with gender confirmation. As 16-year-old Stella Keating, an openly transgender high school girl, pointed out when speaking on behalf of her transgender peers recently, trans teenagers are like everyone else – they want to fit in, have fun, make friends, learn, and grow.
Republicans are trying to fuel the hysteria to make trans equality the battlefield problem today. In fact, health decisions are deeply personal, and it just makes sense to play on a sports team that aligns with your gender identity. Rather than focus on the real big problem today (namely the coronavirus pandemic), Republicans are reaching for a way to distract themselves – and are ready to dehumanize and exclude transgender people in the process.
Here are five free mental health resources if you or someone you know is having problems. Here are some tips on how to be an effective ally in general, and specifically for the transgender community.
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