BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Over 20 states have implemented or considered legislative actions aimed at limiting LGBTQ+ youth access to gender-affirming health care in 2022, including Alabama, Texas and Arizona.
Looking ahead to 2023, nine states have already pre-filed measures that ban transitional care, including New Hampshire, Montana, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Provisions in those bills include criminalizing providers of gender-affirming care, and allows others to file damages against those providers.
They also seek the right to penalize parents who help their children access gender-affirming care. Provisions limit insurance coverage or payments for gender-affirming services or bar state funds for services.
But here in California, a new law will guarantee protections for people seeking or providing trans-appropriate medical care.
Senate Bill 107 was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September and goes into effect on January 1.
In a letter to the state senate, Newsom said, in part;
"In California, we believe in equality and acceptance. We believe that no one should be prosecuted or persecuted for getting the care they need - including gender-affirming care."
SB 107 prohibits out-of-state agencies from removing children from parents who provide them with gender-affirming healthcare in California. Another main part of the bill is protection for parents and trans youth from out-of-state subpoenas that seek to criminalize their decisions to provide or receive health care. The bill also bans California law enforcement from cooperating with out-of-state efforts to arrest or extradite a person who receives gender-affirming care or who provides proper health care to trans people.
