A proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors in Iowa is on its way to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk.
Republican state lawmakers passed the ban and other LGBTQ bills over the past two days, putting them en route to Reynolds on Wednesday.
Reynolds’ office did not immediately respond Wednesday when asked whether she plans to sign the bill into law once it reaches her.
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Thousands of Iowans have publicly protested this bill and others that have been moving through the Iowa Legislature over the past week. Students at dozens of schools across the state walked out of classes, and hundreds attended two rallies at the Iowa Capitol this past week, on Sunday and again on Wednesday.
If the bill is signed into law, it likely will be at least temporarily halted by a legal challenge. Similar bills in other states are being challenged in the courts, including in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.
Republican legislators who proposed and advanced the ban on gender-affirming care say it is necessary to protect children from medical care and treatments when the science is not settled, even though all major medical groups in the U.S. say the treatments are safe and the vast majority of studies show that the care leads to better mental health outcomes.
During debate Wednesday, Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, who oversaw the bill’s movement in the Iowa House, pointed to studies in Europe, including one that says more study is needed on the long-term effects of gender-affirming care.
The study says there is some evidence that individuals who have sex reassignment have “considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behavior and psychiatric morbidity than the general population.”
“Our children deserve the time to grow into themselves, to find themselves, to go through phases without medical interventions that are unproven in their efficacy,” Holt said. “It is for these reasons that I believe we should wait on these life-altering procedures and therapies for children until they are adults.”
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During debate in the Iowa Senate on Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Edler, R-State Center, who oversaw the bill’s movement in that chamber, pointed to a study that he said illustrates his concern for the long-term impacts of hormonal treatment.
The 2018 study, which can be found on the American Academy of Pediatrics website, says the long-term side effects of hormonal treatment could include bone density loss and also says more research is needed on those long-term impacts. However, it also concludes the treatments benefit the patients and are generally safe.
Republican Rep. Jeff Shipley pointed to the guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which says the “number of studies is still low, and there are few outcome studies that follow youth into adulthood.”
Still, those guidelines recommend puberty blockers and hormone treatment in adolescents with gender dysphoria who meet certain conditions, and the organization “vehemently” opposes bills like the one passed by Iowa Republicans.
Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, who is a physician, noted the preponderance of evidence continues to show that while the treatments sometimes come with side effects, that they are safe, and that studies and physicians that cast doubt on the treatment’s safety are outliers.
“It takes lots of physicians … to come together, looking at all the studies, not cherry-picking them to support an agenda,” Baeth said. “But looking at the mountain of evidence, the preponderance of evidence, and deciding, what is the most likely answer to this question.”
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Republican state lawmakers passed the ban and other LGBTQ bills over the past two days, putting them en route to Reynolds on Wednesday.
Reynolds’ office did not immediately respond Wednesday when asked whether she plans to sign the bill into law once it reaches her.
Advertisement
Thousands of Iowans have publicly protested this bill and others that have been moving through the Iowa Legislature over the past week. Students at dozens of schools across the state walked out of classes, and hundreds attended two rallies at the Iowa Capitol this past week, on Sunday and again on Wednesday.
If the bill is signed into law, it likely will be at least temporarily halted by a legal challenge. Similar bills in other states are being challenged in the courts, including in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.
Republican legislators who proposed and advanced the ban on gender-affirming care say it is necessary to protect children from medical care and treatments when the science is not settled, even though all major medical groups in the U.S. say the treatments are safe and the vast majority of studies show that the care leads to better mental health outcomes.
Studies cited
During debate Wednesday, Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, who oversaw the bill’s movement in the Iowa House, pointed to studies in Europe, including one that says more study is needed on the long-term effects of gender-affirming care.
The study says there is some evidence that individuals who have sex reassignment have “considerably higher risks for mortality, suicidal behavior and psychiatric morbidity than the general population.”
“Our children deserve the time to grow into themselves, to find themselves, to go through phases without medical interventions that are unproven in their efficacy,” Holt said. “It is for these reasons that I believe we should wait on these life-altering procedures and therapies for children until they are adults.”
On Iowa Politics
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During debate in the Iowa Senate on Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Edler, R-State Center, who oversaw the bill’s movement in that chamber, pointed to a study that he said illustrates his concern for the long-term impacts of hormonal treatment.
The 2018 study, which can be found on the American Academy of Pediatrics website, says the long-term side effects of hormonal treatment could include bone density loss and also says more research is needed on those long-term impacts. However, it also concludes the treatments benefit the patients and are generally safe.
Republican Rep. Jeff Shipley pointed to the guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which says the “number of studies is still low, and there are few outcome studies that follow youth into adulthood.”
Still, those guidelines recommend puberty blockers and hormone treatment in adolescents with gender dysphoria who meet certain conditions, and the organization “vehemently” opposes bills like the one passed by Iowa Republicans.
Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, who is a physician, noted the preponderance of evidence continues to show that while the treatments sometimes come with side effects, that they are safe, and that studies and physicians that cast doubt on the treatment’s safety are outliers.
“It takes lots of physicians … to come together, looking at all the studies, not cherry-picking them to support an agenda,” Baeth said. “But looking at the mountain of evidence, the preponderance of evidence, and deciding, what is the most likely answer to this question.”
GOP lawmakers pass ban on gender-affirming care for minors
LGBTQ Iowans say ban and other bills will harm their community, especially children
www.thegazette.com
