The West Virginia Legislature has recently revisited the issue of gender affirming care for minors, with the House Health and Human Resources Committee recommending for passage a bill that would fully ban such care.
House Bill 5297 aims to prohibit the use of pubertal modulating and hormonal therapy for severe gender dysphoria. This comes after a similar bill passed the House last year.
Last year, the Legislature passed House Bill 2007, which prohibited irreversible gender reassignment surgery or medication for gender-affirming care to individuals under 18, with certain exceptions. HB 5297, however, seeks to completely ban medical gender affirming care, eliminating all remaining exceptions.
The bill has sparked controversy and debate, with proponents arguing for the protection of parental rights and the prevention of what they view as harmful medical practices.
On the other hand, opponents, including advocates for LGBTQ rights, argue that the bill interferes with necessary and potentially life-saving medical treatment for transgender youth.
House Health Committee Members (Credits: NewsNation)
Amidst this debate, an amendment proposed by Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, that would allow patients currently receiving these treatments to continue was voted down. Pushkin argued that abruptly discontinuing treatment could be detrimental to patients’ health.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Del. Geoff Foster, R-Putnam, emphasized that the goal is to end all exceptions to the prohibition of gender-affirming care, as previously passed by the House last year.
The passing of HB 5297 would mark the second bill this session aimed at imposing limits on the transgender community in West Virginia.
Last week, the House passed House Bill 5243, creating the Women’s Bill of Rights Act, which defines sex-based terms in the State Code and prohibits unfair treatment based on biological sex.
House Bill 4233, another bill currently before the Senate, prohibits the use of “non-binary” on birth certificates, requiring that a child’s sex at birth be listed as either male or female.
The debate over these bills reflects broader societal discussions around gender identity, medical treatment for transgender individuals, and the balance between parental rights and state intervention in matters of healthcare.
The West Virginia Legislature has revisited the issue of gender-affirming care for minors, with the House Health and Human Resources Committee recommending passage of a bill that would fully ban such care.
House Bill 5297 aims to prohibit pubertal modulating and hormonal therapy for severe gender dysphoria. This comes after a similar bill passed the House last year.
Last year, the Legislature passed House Bill 2007, which prohibited irreversible gender reassignment surgery or medication for gender-affirming care for individuals under 18, with certain exceptions. HB 5297, however, seeks to completely ban medical gender-affirming care, eliminating all remaining exceptions.
The bill has sparked controversy and debate, with proponents arguing for the protection of parental rights and the prevention of what they view as harmful medical practices.
On the other hand, opponents, including advocates for LGBTQ rights, argue that the bill interferes with necessary and potentially life-saving medical treatment for transgender youth.
Amidst this debate, an amendment proposed by Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, that would allow patients currently receiving these treatments to continue was voted down. Pushkin argued that abruptly discontinuing treatment could be detrimental to patients’ health.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Del. Geoff Foster, R-Putnam, emphasized that the goal is to end all exceptions to the prohibition of gender-affirming care, as previously passed by the House last year.
The passing of HB 5297 would mark the second bill this session aimed at imposing limits on the transgender community in West Virginia.
Last week, the House passed House Bill 5243, creating the Women’s Bill of Rights Act, which defines sex-based terms in the State Code and prohibits unfair treatment based on biological sex.
House Bill 4233, another bill currently before the Senate, prohibits the use of “non-binary” on birth certificates, requiring that a child’s sex at birth be listed as either male or female.
The debate over these bills reflects broader societal discussions around gender identity, medical treatment for transgender individuals, and the balance between parental rights and state intervention in healthcare.
