Transgender treatments for people under the age of 18 have been banned by an American state for the first time, stoking fears that others may soon follow suit.
While Arkansas has become the first state to enact such a ban, similar moves are either underway or have been attempted across America.
According to The Human Rights Campaign - an LGBTQ advocacy group - there have been 195 bills impacting LGBTQ communities introduced in 30 legislatures around the United States, including dozens focusing on restricting transgender rights.
Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson tried to veto the legislation on Monday, but was soundly defeated in both houses of the state legislature.
The new Arkansas laws, known as the, effectively bans doctors from providing hormone treatment, puberty blockers or gender-affirming surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from referring them to other providers.
A national trend
Several state laws have been passed recently that are predicted to have an impact on transgender adolescents.
The governors of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee have signed legislation banning transgender females from competing on school sports teams aligning with their gender identity.
Arkansas is also reportedly considering an order that school teachers must address students by the name and gender on their birth certificates, even if the students might identify differently.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signs the first state bill in the US this year to ban transgender athletes from competing in female sports, March 11, 2021 Source: AP
Human rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union have been quick to condemn the Arkansas ban.
“Today Arkansas legislators disregarded widespread, overwhelming, and bipartisan opposition to this bill and continued their discriminatory crusade against trans youth,” said Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU’s Arkansas branch.
“This is a sad day for Arkansas, but this fight is not over – and we’re in it for the long haul.”
Proponents of the bill, nearly all Republican, said they want to protect kids from medical procedures they will later regret.
They also accuse transgender advocates of minimising the side effects of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and point to the small number of cases where transgender people reverse their decision to transition.
Jerry Cox, president of the conservative Family Council, called the override vote "really good news."
"Gender-reassignment surgeries can leave children sterilized and scarred for life. Medical researchers do not know the long-term effects these procedures and therapies can have on kids," he said in a statement.
Concerns in Australia
The decision in Arkansas has shocked some members of the transgender community in Australia.
One prominent community spokesperson has described the ban as "demoralising and deflating".
"This decision is life threatening," said Sally Goldner AM from Transgender Victoria. "The Arkansas legislature may end up with blood on its hands."
Ms Goldner said the barriers faced by transgender people in Australia would be exacerbated by the decision in the United States.
"It is well noted that trans people experience disproportionate mental health issues, not due to their sexual orientation, but due to discrimination. Those mental health issues will only worsen with this discriminatory law," Ms Goldner told SBS News.
While no such bans exist in Australia, Ms Goldner said developments in the US could still impact transgender Australians.
"It is upsetting for trans people of all age groups, including the middle cohort who think maybe we're achieving progress after all this time," she said.
The Human Rights Campaign’s Eric Reece said all Arkansans deserved access to care, particularly during the pandemic.
“Reaffirming access to this medically necessary care is an important step to prevent discrimination and exclusion of transgender kids,” Mr Reece said.
Conservative groups celebrated the SAFE Act’s passage into law.
“The state of Arkansas has taken the lead in the race to protect children from a political movement that advocates for using off-label drugs and experimental procedures on minors,” said Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council.
