Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
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Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (Ark.) has introduced new legislation that would place national prohibitions on gender-transition surgery for children while a Democrat-run state is moving toward a law that would be far more welcoming to the same.
Cotton’s bill, named the Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act, was cosponsored by eight other conservatives and would allow adults who received gender-transition surgeries as children to sue and would specify that federal law cannot be used to force medical practitioners into performing such surgeries.
“Gender-transition procedures aren’t safe or appropriate for children,” Cotton said in a statement. “Unfortunately, radical doctors in the United States perform dangerous, experimental, and even sterilizing gender-transition procedures on young kids, who cannot even provide informed consent. Our bill allows children who grow up to regret these procedures to sue for damages. Any doctor who performs these irresponsible procedures on kids should pay.”
THE GREAT DIVIDE
Cotton’s bill underscores the profound divide between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of gender transitions.
As reported by the Post Millennial, liberals in the state of Washington are working to declare their state a sanctuary for gender transition surgeries.
Senate Bill 5599, which passed the state senate Wednesday, would allow individuals or shelters to provide housing to minors who run away from home without being required to notify the minor’s parents so long is a “compelling reason” to not do so. Such reasons include a young person who is “seeking placement in a host home to receive protected health care services.”
“Tonight, we passed #SB5599 to ensure at-risk youth have access to shelter when seeking gender-affirming or reproductive care,” state Sen. Marko Liias tweeted. “Trans youth have been under a nationwide attack, but #WALeg continues to fight for trans rights.”
Tonight, we passed #SB5599 to ensure at-risk youth have access to shelter when seeking gender-affirming or reproductive care. Trans youth have been under a nationwide attack, but #WALeg continues to fight for trans rights.
Learn more: https://t.co/ozn9B5xhqa pic.twitter.com/nzMPgEpHrt
— Sen. Marko Liias (@SenMarkoLiias) March 2, 2023
Critics of the proposed law say that it will encourage children to run away from home.
“Your child could effectively disappear by simply claiming they’re seeking gender counseling or puberty-blocking chemicals under a bill passed by Legislative Democrats in the Senate,” a post on the Washington state Senate Republican Twitter account reads.
AUDIO: Your child could effectively disappear by simply claiming they’re seeking gender counseling or puberty-blocking chemicals under a bill passed by Legislative Democrats in the Senate. Kimberly Wirtz explains. #waleg #UnwiseWA #ParentsKnowBest
LISTEN: https://t.co/RvEAvPEGkO pic.twitter.com/BnFlcaSoH3
— WA Senate Republicans (@WashingtonSRC) March 2, 2023
In D.C., where Cotton’s bill faces almost certain defeat — indeed, it might never be brought up for a vote in a Democrat-controlled Senate — Republicans are amplifying their fight to clamp down on gender transitions nationwide.
“Performing irreversible surgery on a child too young to drive a car or get a tattoo is wrong,” Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), one of the bill’s cosponsors, said in a statement. “The quacks who enable this inexcusable practice must be held accountable.”
It would be a matter likely to appear before the Supreme Court if Republicans ever could instate a nationwide ban or even an effective ban on gender transitions for children.
What is emerging is a convoluted set of competing state laws, some of which would likely be at odds with a federal law.