Source: Women are Human
US — Arkansas. As Arkansas becomes the first US state to ban puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery for gender dysphoric youth, transgender activists, including at least one famed figure, are encouraging the smuggling of hormones to youth in the state.
Bill HB1570, which created the “Arkansas Save 27 Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act,” was filed on February 2, and passed by the Senate and House on March 29.
According to the Bill (pdf),
For the small percentage of children who are gender nonconforming or experience distress at identifying with their biological sex, studies consistently demonstrate that the majority come to identify with their biological sex in adolescence or adulthood, thereby rendering most physiological interventions unnecessary;
Furthermore, scientific studies show that individuals struggling with distress at identifying with their biological sex often have already experienced psychopathology, which indicates these individuals should be encouraged to seek mental health services to address comorbidities and underlying causes of their distress before undertaking any hormonal or surgical intervention;
Even among people who have undergone inpatient gender reassignment procedures, suicide rates, psychiatric morbidities, and mortality rates remain markedly elevated above the background population.
The Bill went on to name “serious known risks” of cross-sex hormones for “biological females”: “an increase in red blood cells; severe liver dysfunction; coronary artery disease, including heart attacks; cerebrovascular disease, including strokes; hypertension; increased risk of breast and uterine cancers; irreversible infertility.”
According to the Bill, “biological males” using cross-sex hormones are known to be at heightened risk of “thromboembolic disease, including blood clots; […] gallstones; coronary artery disease, including heart attacks; […] a tumor of the pituitary gland; cerebrovascular disease, including strokes; […] an elevated level of tryglycerides in the blood; breast cancer; and irreversible infertility.”
While “genital and nongenital gender reassignment surgeries are generally not recommended for children,” the Bill notes, “referrals for children to have such surgeries are becoming more frequent.” The Bill called the surgeries “irreversible invasive procedures” that involve “alteration of biologically healthy and functional body parts.”
The Bill argued that there is a “lack of studies showing that the benefits of such extreme interventions outweigh the risks,” and said “Arkansas has a compelling government interest in protecting the health and safety of its citizens, especially vulnerable children.”
Under the SAFE Act, physicians, other health care professionals, and local- and state-run facilities are barred from providing “gender transition procedures” or giving referrals for such services for a person under the age of 18. Health insurance would not be permitted to cover or reimburse the procedures for minors. In addition, the Bill bars individuals and entities that perform the procedures from receiving public funds. Those who defy the act would face discipline by their licensing entity or disciplinary review board.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed the Bill on April 5, decrying it as “government overreach” at a news conference. He called the legislation “well-intended,” but insisted: “You are starting to let lawmakers interfere with health care and set a standard for legislation overriding health care. The state should not presume to jump into every ethical health decision.”
The following day, the Arkansas House and Senate voted to override the governor’s veto.
Dr Robert Garofalo, division head of adolescent and young adult medicine at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, claimed at a press conference call held by the Human Rights Campaign that the SAFE Act is “anti-trans,” “anti-science” and “anti-public health.”
Some opponents are threatening to sue to block the ban.
Other transgender activists are proposing extreme methods to circumvent the ban.
“Bootlegging crates of hormone blockers in trans prohibition states is praxis,” Chelsea Manning tweeted from a verified Twitter account on March 30. The tweet received over 5,600 likes. “Sayyy – could you be a good sport and get these crates of estradiol into alabama – sayyy.”
The transgender activist, who is male and was named Bradley Edward Manning prior to self-identifying as a woman, is best known for a 2013 conviction for espionage after using access to top secret-classified databases, as part of an intelligence analyst role in the Army unit in Iraq, to leak military secrets.
Gary Wright II of Alabama, whose Twitter bio says he is a Navy Veteran and “Engineering Geek” offered: “I’m here in Alabama and would like to help! Just label the crates with big red letters that say “GUNS” and it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“There’s no shortage of Russian pharmacies that won’t ask many questions,” @TovAayla, a Script & Web Developer at the Socialist Rifle Association, tweeted.
“This is similar to when transwomen were trafficking Propecia and birth control pills in Fargo back in the late 90’s,” tweeted Reverend Vas Littlecrow Wojtanowicz, the Creative Director at Velvet Rasputin, “a Puerto Rican and nonbinary-owned enterprise.” The hormonal pills can be used for do-it-yourself changes to secondary sex characteristics.
The ban called for by the SAFE Act will go into effect this summer.
The Bill also protects youth with Disorders of Sexual Development, previously known as ‘intersex’, from genital mutilations, hormones, and other medical intervention.
