The Alabama Senate on Tuesday, March 2, approved a bill that would protect minors from the perils of transgender therapy.
Senators voted 23-4 in favor of the bill sponsored by Republican Senator Shay Shelnutt called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act. The bill is now headed to the state House of Representatives, which has already approved a companion bill.
The bill, as well as the one already approved by Alabama representatives, would make it a felony for medical professionals to treat transgender minors under the age of 19 with gender-affirming care. Violators could face up to 10 years in prison or a $15,000 fine. School staff in the state would also be required to disclose to parents that “a minor’s perception of his or her gender is inconsistent with his or her sex.”
“Children aren’t mature enough to make these decisions on surgeries and drugs,” Shelnutt told the Associated Press. “The whole point is to protect kids.”
Similar measures have been considered in at least seven other states, but Alabama would be the first to pass such a bill. Read more…