Arkansas Becomes First State to Ban Health Care for Transgender Youth
Arkansas has become the first state in America to ban the provision of gender-affirming treatments and surgery for transgender youth.
The state’s legislature voted Tuesday to override Governor Asa Hutchinson’s veto yesterday of House Bill 1570, which bans transition care for trans minors, prohibiting doctors from providing gender-affirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment.
Opponents of HB 1570, including the ACLU, have already said they will challenge the bill in the courts before it becomes law this summer.