Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Kevin Stitt said he was “thrilled” to officially sign a bill into law Monday that bans gender-affirming medical care for minors in his state. The new rules make it a felony for health-care workers to give people under the age of 18 gender transition medical treatments including surgery, puberty-blocking drugs, and hormones. “Last year, I called for a statewide ban on all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors so I am thrilled to sign this into law today and protect our kids,” Stitt said in a statement. “We cannot turn a blind eye to what’s happening across our nation, and as governor I am proud to stand up for what’s right and ban life-altering transition surgeries on children in the state of Oklahoma.” The ban joins those enacted in at least 15 other states around the U.S.
