Marjorie Taylor Greene, the MAGA Republican representing Georgia’s 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House, apparently wanted to make sure that, after her recent break-up with Donald Trump, her right-wing extremist credentials were still valid. To do so, she has managed to push through the House legislation to criminalize gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
The bill — which MTG dubbed the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” but which would more accurately be named the “Interfere with Individuals’ Private Medical Decisions While Ginning Up Baseless Hatred of Trans Folks Act” — passed the U.S. House late this evening (Wednesday, Dec. 17) in the last vote of the day.
The measure now goes to the Senate where it is (hopefully) unlikely to pass. But should it make it to Trump’s desk where he would surely sign it with glee, the bill would impose felony penalties of up to 10 years in prison on health care professionals providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgical care to patients under the age of 18.
The House vote to pass the bill has been quickly condemned by LGBTQ+ community and political leaders and allies.
The Congressional Equality Caucus issued a statement attributed to Rep. Mark Takano, the caucus chair and calling the bill “the most extreme anti-transgender legislation to ever pass through the House of Representatives and a direct attack on the rights of parents to work with their children and their doctors to provide them with the medical care they need.”
Takano continued, “If this bill becomes law, doctors, pharmacists, and — in some circumstances — the parents of young trans people, would face time in prison for choosing to prioritize their child’s health. This bill is beyond cruel and its passage will forever be a stain on the institution of the United States Congress.
“At a time where the federal government is already so hostile towards the transgender community, it is imperative that Senate Democrats hold the line to prevent this dangerous bill from reaching President Trump’s desk in order to protect the rights and safety of young trans people and their families,” he added.
Mike Zamore, national director of policy and government affairs at the ACLU, said, “Politicians should never prohibit parents from doing what is best for their transgender children. These families often spend years considering how best to support their children, only to have ill-equipped politicians interfere by attempting to criminalize the health care that they, their children, and their doctors believe is necessary to allow their children to thrive.”
Zamore warned that the legislation “also creates an incredibly dangerous precedent far beyond the specific care at issue, criminalizing care based on ideology and placing Washington politicians between families and their doctors. We strongly condemn the passage of this measure and urge members of the Senate to do everything in their power to prevent it from ever becoming law.”
Tyler Hack, executive director of the Christopher Street Project in Washington, D.C., called the vote “a devastating step backward for trans youth, their families and the medical professionals who care for them. Instead of taking up a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act, protecting health insurance for tens of thousands of Americans, the House chose to throw trans kids under the bus.
“We won’t forget Republicans’ decision to choose political theater and bigotry over our health, safety, and freedoms,” Hack declared.
Another anti-trans vote set for Thursday
The ACLU also noted that the House is set to vote tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 18) on a measure led by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, the Republican from Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, that would prohibit Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming medical care for those under the age of 18. But while prohibiting such medically necessary care for trans youth, Crenshaw’s bill “explicitly endorses and allows coverage for surgical procedures on intersex youth and infants, which are frequently performed without the individual’s own consent,” the ACLU press release points out.
Greene announced Nov. 21 that she is resigning from Congress with her last effective day in the House set for Jan. 5 — soon but, at the same time, far too late for the health and well-being of transgender youth.
— Tammye Nash