Arkansas lawmakers enact transgender youth treatment ban

Arkansas lawmakers on Tuesday made the state the first to ban gender confirming treatments and surgery for transgender youth, enacting the prohibition over the governor’s objections.

By

News

April 7, 2021 - 10:10 AM

The Arkansas capitol building. Photo by FLICKR

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers on Tuesday made the state the first to ban gender confirming treatments and surgery for transgender youth, enacting the prohibition over the governor’s objections.

The Republican-controlled House and Senate voted to override GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the measure, which prohibits doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment. 

Opponents of the measure have vowed to sue to block the ban before it takes effect this summer.

Related
April 23, 2021
April 9, 2021
April 8, 2021
April 5, 2021