Mississippi Senate approves bill banning trans surgeries for minors

The Mississippi Senate has approved a bill that prohibits healthcare providers from providing gender-affirming care to anyone under 18 years old. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 33-15 in favor of House Bill 1125 on Tuesday, and it will now go to Republican Governor Tate Reeves for his signature. Reeves has previously indicated that he will sign the bill into law.

House Bill 1125, if signed into law, will prevent minors from accessing hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and other gender-affirming treatments, Fox News reported. This follows the governor's decision in 2021 to sign a law banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ or women’s sports.

Nationally, conservatives are promoting numerous proposals in state legislatures that limit transgender athletes, gender-affirming care, and drag shows. In Utah, the Republican governor recently signed a similar ban on gender-affirming care into law. Meanwhile, judges have put similar legislation on hold in Arkansas and Alabama.

Last week, transgender teenagers, their families, and allies protested against the bill in Mississippi.

Jensen Luke Matar, executive director of the Mississippi-based Transgender Resources Advocacy Network and Services Program, denounced the bill in a statement, saying that "Mississippi lawmakers are insisting that they know what’s best for transgender youth and ignoring the recommendations of every major medical association."

"Patients, along with their health care providers — not politicians — should decide what medical care is in the best interest of a patient," Matar added. "I know from years of working directly with trans youth in Mississippi that they need support, love, and affirmation – not this brazen political attack that cuts off their access to life-saving care."

The Mississippi House of Representatives passed the bill on Jan. 19 with a vote of 78-30. The passage of House Bill 1125 will make Mississippi the first state in the United States to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors if signed into law by the governor.