Indiana And Idaho Are The Latest States To Ban Childhood Genital Mutilation

Joining 13 other states across the US, Indiana and Idaho have passed laws prohibiting sex-change procedures for minors.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb signed a bill on Wednesday which prohibits children under the age of 18 from taking puberty-blocking drugs or undergoing “sex-change” surgeries. The bill further mandates that minors who are taking similar drugs have until the end of this year to stop. Holcomb emphasized that permanent gender-changing surgeries with lifelong impacts and medically prescribed preparation for such a transition should only occur when an individual is an adult. The law will take effect from July 1, and violating doctors will risk losing their medical licenses.

Idaho Governor Brad Little also signed a bill to criminalize sex-change procedures like genital mutilation surgeries or puberty-blocking drugs for transgender-identifying kids younger than 18. The Governor noted that as policymakers they needed to exercise caution when considering allowing the government to interfere with loving parents regarding their decisions about what is best for their children. The Idaho law will become effective from January 1, and prescribers of cross-sex hormones that can irreversibly damage a child’s body and other similar treatments for minors below 18 years will face a felony charge.

The two States joined Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia, which have already passed similar laws to protect children from irreversible medical procedures that could harm them throughout their lives. However, federal judges have blocked the enforcement of Alabama’s and Arkansas’ bills.

In reaction to the new laws, local chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union in both States announced they would file lawsuits, arguing that the bans violate the US Constitution’s equal protection clause for transgender-identifying children.

Victoria Marshall wrote this article for The Federalist. She is a staff writer who graduated from Hillsdale College with a major in politics and a minor in journalism.

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