Advocates from Planned Parenthood and PROMO Missouri are responding to the emergency state regulation that is designed to stop transgender healthcare for children. It was issued on Monday by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
Bailey says the rule clarifies that gender transition interventions are experimental, adding that state law already bans performing experimental procedures unless certain conditions are met. It would require patients to get a full psychiatric assessment, be screened for autism, among other things.
PROMO, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group, says gender-affirming care is not experimental and is backed by every major medical association in the United States.
Dr. Colleen McNicholas with Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region said political theatrics have no place in healthcare.
“For decades, anti-abortion extremists have legislated their way into my exam room and now, using the same playbook, they are attacking the trans community. The truth is anti-science conspiracies, dangerous and inflammatory rhetoric, and the cruel dehumanization of vulnerable Missourians, are exactly what we have come to expect from our elected and in this case, appointed officials.”
Shira Berkowitz with PROMO Missouri says that trans kids are being used as political pawns.
“Gender affirming care is health care. There’s nothing political about it,” said Berkowitz. “We know that parents should have the full ability to make health care choices for their children without the government telling them they can’t or telling them they know better. At the end of the day, the most extreme Christian conservative views of our elected leaders are abusing their power to ban the bodily autonomy of our most vulnerable just to gain political offices.”
McNicholas said those in the medical profession should fight back what she calls anti-science rhetoric. She explains that they are political attacks on the ability to provide patient centered care, stressing the importance of speaking out and defending the patients they serve.
Once promulgated, Bailey’s emergency regulation will last 30 legislative days or 180 days, whichever is longer.
“Even Europe recognizes that mutilating children for the sake of a woke, leftist agenda has irreversible consequences, and countries like Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom have all sharply curtailed these procedures. I am dedicated to using every legal tool at my disposal to stand in the gap and protect children from being subject to inhumane science experiments,” said Bailey.
Bailey, a Republican, was sworn into office in January.
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