'If the good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy': Alabama makes gender transition for minors a FELONY!
It is now a felony for doctors to assist minors with gender transition in Alabama. Governor Kay Ivey signed into law The Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act on April 8, 2022, declaring, "If the good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy," in the latest attack on America's LGBTQ community.
Following Texas and Florida's lead, many deep-red states have quickly moved to limit the freedoms of the LGBTQ community. In late February, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called transition care "child abuse", hot on the heels of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill. Much of the controversy has stemmed from UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, who began competing in women's sports after years of competing as a male, leading to much outrage from conservatives.
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Thomas' wins initially led to a massive debate around the position of trans athletes in sport, which has now morphed into a wider battle to further alienate them. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 268 anti-equality bills were filed targeting the LBGTQ community in 2021, of which 27 were signed into law. 2022 is so far shaping up to be even worse.
Alabama makes transition aid a felony
The bill signed by Governor Ivey makes it a felony for doctors to perform medical procedures or prescribe medication for all minors who wish to transition or alter their appearance. It also allegedly makes puberty blockers illegal, saying they can cause infertility and other health risks. Violating the law would result in up to 10 years in prison. It follows a ban on transgender youth playing sport aligning with their chosen identity that Ivey signed in 2021.
Alongside that, Ivey also signed another bill banning school students from using bathrooms and school facilities that do not match their biological sex. "Here in Alabama, the men use the men's room, and the ladies use the ladies' room - it's really a no brainer," he said about that bill. On the other bill, he said, "We should especially protect our children from these radical, life-altering drugs and surgeries when they are at such a vulnerable stage in life. Instead, let us focus on helping them to properly develop into the adults God intended them to be." Ivey added, "I believe very strongly if the good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if he made you a girl, you are a girl."
While the bill won widespread support in the state House, Democrats have slammed it by targeting the GOP's traditional ideology of "small government." "This is not small government; this is not a conservative bill," Democratic Rep Neil Rafferty declared in the chamber. Rep. Wes Allen, a Republican hit back by likening the bill to laws that prevent minors from buying nicotine products, or getting tattoos. "We make decisions in this body all the time that are to protect children from making decisions that could permanently harm them."
The move is widely seen as a major slap in the face to Democrats, ahead of the 2022 midterms. Merely 24 hours before Ivey signed the bill, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki slammed the GOP for targeting the LGBTQ community, instead of addressing other critical issues like Covid-19 and the economy. She called it "a disturbing, cynical trend", but to little avail.