Alabama considers bill that makes doctors’ treatment of transgender youth a felony

Alabama’s House Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday on a bill that would make it a felony for doctors to give puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgery to a transgender child, The Associated Press reported. 

The bill, proposed by Republican Rep. Wes Allen, is called the “Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act.” It argues that there is not enough research to show that puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgery for transgender children are safe or effective. 

The bill also argues that studies have shown that “pre-pubescent children who claim a gender identity different from their biological sex will ultimately identify with their biological sex by young adulthood or sooner when supported through their natural puberty.”

The bill says that if puberty blockers are administered and a child changes their mind, it “forecloses the possibility of a natural recovery from this condition.”

Opponents of the bill have argued the decision should be between the child, parents and doctors. Those who support the bill believe a person should have to be a legal adult in order to make the decision to undergo gender-changing medical procedures. 

The bill does have an exception for cases where children are shown to have “medically verifiable disorder of sex development” and need these treatments. 

If the bill is passed, it would also make it a Class C felony for school employees or administrators to tell a child not to tell their parents if they don’t believe their gender matches their biological sex.