West Virginia Lawmakers Seek to Remove ‘Suicide Risk’ Exemption from Ban on Transgender Hormones for Minors

 

Lawmakers in West Virginia are seeking to remove a “suicide risk” exemption that allows some families to circumvent a ban on hormones and sex change medical interventions for minors.

Medical interventions for minors who identify as “transgender” were banned in the state last year, but an exemption was left open for youth who are allegedly “at risk for self-harm or suicide.”

According to a report from The Intelligencer, the exemption currently “requires parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two medical professionals, both of whom must provide written testimony that medical interventions are necessary to prevent or limit possible or actual self-harm.”

The report adds:

Coming up against a major legislative deadline next week, lawmakers in the House Health and Human Resources Committee on Friday rushed to advance a bill to the full chamber that would completely ban interventions like hormone therapy and puberty blockers. Gender-affirming surgery, which physicians testified doesn’t occur in the state, was banned last year.

It’s unclear what the chances of passage are for the bill. The House of Delegates passed a similar measure last year, but it was significantly altered by Republican Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, a physician who expressed concern about the high suicide rate for transgender youth.

The committee rejected a motion from Democrat Del. Mike Pushkin to allow minors who are already on hormone therapy or puberty blockers to continue taking them.

 

The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia has already threatened legal action if the amendment passes.

Breaking: House Health has advanced HB 5297, an all-out ban on medically necessary gender-affirming care for minors.

If this bill becomes law, we’ll see the state in court.

— ACLU of WV (@ACLU_WV) February 23, 2024

“If this bill becomes law, we’ll see the state in court,” the organization wrote in a statement on X.