By LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Some Republican lawmakers in West Virginia want to ban transgender youth at risk for self-harm or suicide from accessing medical interventions such as hormone therapy. The GOP-controlled Legislature banned such interventions last year while allowing the self-harm and suicide exception. Now, a group of lawmakers want […]
West Virginia lawmakers, on Feb. 23, 2024, passed out of the House Health and Human Resources Committee House Bill 5297 to the full chamber. The bill would ban interventions like hormone therapy and puberty blockers from at-risk transgender youth.
Some Republican lawmakers in West Virginia want to ban transgender youth at risk for self-harm or suicide from accessing medical interventions such as hormone therapy. The GOP-controlled Legislature banned such interventions last year while allowing the self-harm and suicide exception. Now, a group of lawmakers want to eliminate that narrow definition, which requires parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two medical professionals, both of whom must provide written testimony that medical interventions are necessary to prevent or limit possible or actual self-harm.
Divided Republicans on a West Virginia state Senate committee voted to advance a bill that would outlaw certain kinds of healthcare for transgender youth. They ignored pleas from a medical