What Jeff Walker’s family needs right now is clarity.
The family of four in Auburn, Ala., is one of those affected by two bills targeting trans youths signed into law this month by Gov. Kay Ivey (R). One makes providing gender-affirming care to a minor a felony, and the other restricts trans children from using bathroom and locker facilities that align with their gender identities. It also bars any instruction in public schools that mentions gender or sexuality until the sixth grade.
Alabama lawmakers pass bills curbing rights of trans kids
The education bill, which would force Walker’s teenage daughter Harleigh to use the boy’s bathroom at her high school, won’t go into effect until the next school year. But the clock is ticking on the health-care bill, which could be enforced as soon as May 8 if legal challenges don’t block it.
To prepare, they’ve been talking to clinics in neighboring states to see if and how Harleigh can continue receiving gender-affirming care; they’ve learned the closest and safest place to access care is Georgia, Walker said. Moving would be the worst-case scenario, he added: “We can’t just pick up and go.”
ADVERTISING
There’s a mortgage to consider, as well as his 19-year-old son, who started college this semester and is serving in the Alabama National Guard.
“If we decide we have to split, one parent has to stay behind and make sure his needs are met,” said Walker, whose son lives at home. “You’re breaking up a family.”
So the Walkers are keeping their eyes on the news and continuing to weigh their options as the May 8 deadline creeps closer. For his and other families, the shock of the bills passing in the first place has not worn off: “I think everybody’s kind of in the same boat: What do we do? What is next and what’s right for them?”
LGBTQ and civil rights groups have called the new laws unconstitutional, and two lawsuits were filed against the bills soon after Ivey signed them. On Saturday, both were voluntarily dismissed, meaning the plaintiffs agreed to drop the challenges — though the plan is to refile imminently, attorneys say.
In a statement shared with The Washington Post, Alabama state Rep. Wes Allen (R), one of the champions of the health-care ban, accused the groups of trying to “judge-shop” — refile in a district where the judge may be more likely to rule against the law.
“This legislation was passed by the Alabama House and Senate after three years of debates and public hearings,” Allen said. “We heard from doctors who support this legislation.”
Allen compared the health-care law to others that ban minors from drinking alcohol or vaping.
“This legislation is about protecting children from making decisions as children that their brains are not yet developed enough to understand,” he said. “Just as we do not allow children, even with parental permission, to drink alcohol or vape, we passed this legislation to protect children.”
FAQ: What you need to know about transgender children
Upon signing the legislation, called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, Ivey said in a statement: “I believe very strongly that if the Good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if he made you a girl, you are a girl.”
“We should especially protect our children from these radical, life-altering drugs and surgeries when they are at such a vulnerable stage in life,” she continued. (Puberty blockers are reversible, and doctors say no gender-affirming surgeries are performed on minors in Alabama.)
Many recent state bills have targeted the same issues: gender-affirming care for trans minors, discussion of LGBTQ topics in schools and trans youths’ participation in sports.
A guide to the words we use in our gender coverage
Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill limiting the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation for younger students. In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed two bills that would restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youths and prohibit them from playing on female sports teams. And in Missouri, five bills were introduced this session that would restrict the rights of trans people, including one that would penalize doctors who provide gender-affirming care for minors.
But Alabama’s laws go further than similar policies that have been enacted. Its classroom ban on discussing gender or sexuality extends from kindergarten through the fifth grade (Florida’s law applies from kindergarten through the third grade.) And its ban on gender-affirming care would make it illegal for minors getting treatments such as puberty blockers from continuing them — effectively de-transitioning these patients. Parents and providers found guilty of providing gender-affirming care would also face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
Parents of trans children and physicians have noted minors cannot make decisions about transition care on their own. In Alabama, minors may receive puberty blockers, which delay puberty and are reversible, and hormone therapy. Gender-affirming surgeries are not performed on those younger than 18, doctors say. Prominent medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, had urged Ivey to veto the health-care ban. Many medical experts say gender-affirming care can save lives by reducing the risk of depression and suicide among trans youths.
The family of four in Auburn, Ala., is one of those affected by two bills targeting trans youths signed into law this month by Gov. Kay Ivey (R). One makes providing gender-affirming care to a minor a felony, and the other restricts trans children from using bathroom and locker facilities that align with their gender identities. It also bars any instruction in public schools that mentions gender or sexuality until the sixth grade.
Alabama lawmakers pass bills curbing rights of trans kids
The education bill, which would force Walker’s teenage daughter Harleigh to use the boy’s bathroom at her high school, won’t go into effect until the next school year. But the clock is ticking on the health-care bill, which could be enforced as soon as May 8 if legal challenges don’t block it.
To prepare, they’ve been talking to clinics in neighboring states to see if and how Harleigh can continue receiving gender-affirming care; they’ve learned the closest and safest place to access care is Georgia, Walker said. Moving would be the worst-case scenario, he added: “We can’t just pick up and go.”
ADVERTISING
There’s a mortgage to consider, as well as his 19-year-old son, who started college this semester and is serving in the Alabama National Guard.
“If we decide we have to split, one parent has to stay behind and make sure his needs are met,” said Walker, whose son lives at home. “You’re breaking up a family.”
So the Walkers are keeping their eyes on the news and continuing to weigh their options as the May 8 deadline creeps closer. For his and other families, the shock of the bills passing in the first place has not worn off: “I think everybody’s kind of in the same boat: What do we do? What is next and what’s right for them?”
LGBTQ and civil rights groups have called the new laws unconstitutional, and two lawsuits were filed against the bills soon after Ivey signed them. On Saturday, both were voluntarily dismissed, meaning the plaintiffs agreed to drop the challenges — though the plan is to refile imminently, attorneys say.
In a statement shared with The Washington Post, Alabama state Rep. Wes Allen (R), one of the champions of the health-care ban, accused the groups of trying to “judge-shop” — refile in a district where the judge may be more likely to rule against the law.
“This legislation was passed by the Alabama House and Senate after three years of debates and public hearings,” Allen said. “We heard from doctors who support this legislation.”
Allen compared the health-care law to others that ban minors from drinking alcohol or vaping.
“This legislation is about protecting children from making decisions as children that their brains are not yet developed enough to understand,” he said. “Just as we do not allow children, even with parental permission, to drink alcohol or vape, we passed this legislation to protect children.”
FAQ: What you need to know about transgender children
Upon signing the legislation, called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, Ivey said in a statement: “I believe very strongly that if the Good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if he made you a girl, you are a girl.”
“We should especially protect our children from these radical, life-altering drugs and surgeries when they are at such a vulnerable stage in life,” she continued. (Puberty blockers are reversible, and doctors say no gender-affirming surgeries are performed on minors in Alabama.)
Many recent state bills have targeted the same issues: gender-affirming care for trans minors, discussion of LGBTQ topics in schools and trans youths’ participation in sports.
A guide to the words we use in our gender coverage
Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill limiting the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation for younger students. In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed two bills that would restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youths and prohibit them from playing on female sports teams. And in Missouri, five bills were introduced this session that would restrict the rights of trans people, including one that would penalize doctors who provide gender-affirming care for minors.
But Alabama’s laws go further than similar policies that have been enacted. Its classroom ban on discussing gender or sexuality extends from kindergarten through the fifth grade (Florida’s law applies from kindergarten through the third grade.) And its ban on gender-affirming care would make it illegal for minors getting treatments such as puberty blockers from continuing them — effectively de-transitioning these patients. Parents and providers found guilty of providing gender-affirming care would also face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
Parents of trans children and physicians have noted minors cannot make decisions about transition care on their own. In Alabama, minors may receive puberty blockers, which delay puberty and are reversible, and hormone therapy. Gender-affirming surgeries are not performed on those younger than 18, doctors say. Prominent medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, had urged Ivey to veto the health-care ban. Many medical experts say gender-affirming care can save lives by reducing the risk of depression and suicide among trans youths.
