Alabamians who help teenagers transition from one sex to another could soon face felony charges. The Senate Health Committee recently passed a bill that would ban hormone therapy, puberty blockers or surgery for transgender youth under the age of eighteen. Those who violate the proposed bill could serve up to ten years behind bars. Kaitlin Welborn is the reproductive rights staff attorney at the ACLU of Alabama. She says there’s misinformation around puberty blockers and hormone therapy.
“Puberty blockers are basically a pause button on puberty, and that’s the only thing that they do,” Welborn said. “They just allow some time for young people until they’re old enough to make their own decisions about their gender identity.”
Puberty blockers place a pause button on puberty and are commonly used to help transgender youths make a decision on their gender identity. Welborn with ACLU of Alabama say the proposed bill probably won’t stand up to judicial review
“There is no question that this felony healthcare ban is not just cruel and harmful, but is patently unconstitutional,” she contended. “The felony healthcare ban singles out transgender youth. That is a blatant violation of equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution.”
The entire Alabama Senate will vote on the bill next. The ACLU is prepared to legally challenge the bill within days if it is passed.
