Texas becomes the largest US state to ban medical aid for transgender minors

New transphobic offensive in the United States. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Republican, signed into law on Friday June 2 a law prohibiting the provision of medical aid to transgender minors, further expanding restrictions on access to treatment in the country.

Greg Abbott thus aligns himself with a position already adopted by the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, who had enacted similar legislation in May. Texas and Florida are the second and third most populous states in the United States.

Texas law prohibits medical professionals from prescribing hormone-blocking drugs or performing sex-altering surgery on anyone under the age of 18. It will come into effect on September 1. Minors who already benefit from hormonal therapy will have to wean themselves medically.

Legal action to protest

Democrats have denounced human rights abuses and on Friday the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas announced legal proceedings against the new law. The governor “Abbott can’t stop trans youth from thriving in Texas – and we’ll sue him to make sure”said the association on Twitter.

BREAKING: Gov. Abbott has signed #SB14 into law, banning life-saving health care for trans youth.

Abbott can’t stop trans youth from thriving in Texas — and we’ll take him to court to make sure of it.

— ACLU of Texas (@ACLUTx) June 2, 2023

A dozen American states led by conservative elected officials have decided on restrictions against transgender minors. In March, Democratic President Joe Biden estimated that such “attacks” against transgender rights were “un-American and had to stop”.