A bill passed by Missouri lawmakers on Wednesday will clamp down on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. It is the latest swing in a series of attacks the Show-Me state, and others across the United States, have taken on transition treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for minors. While young Missourians already receiving treatment may continue to do so, the legislation oddly limits transition operations for even some adults—including prisoners and those covered under Medicaid. The GOP-ruled House also passed another bill Wednesday forbidding transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams, quashing state funding for schools that fly in the face of the ban. “When you have kids being surgically and or chemically altered for life for no good reason, yes, it’s time for the government to get involved,” Republican Rep. Brad Hudson said on the House floor. Democrats such as Rep. Joe Adams fought back, arguing that “To deny these children care is to deny them their very existence.” Both bills have an expiry date of 2027 and are headed to the desk of Gov. Mike Parson, who is expected to sign them.
