Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
South Dakota Bans Gender-Affirming Health Care For Minors
CNN: South Dakota Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Gender-Affirming Treatment For Transgender Minors
South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday signed a bill into law that will ban both surgical and non-surgical gender-affirming treatments for transgender minors in the state. HB 1080 outlaws the prescription and administration of puberty-blocking medication in patients under the age of 18, as well as sex hormones and surgery related to gender transition. (Kashiwagi, 2/13)
AP: Arkansas Malpractice Bill Restricts Trans Youth Medical Care
Nearly two years after Arkansas became the first state to enact a now-blocked ban on gender-affirming care for minors, Republican lawmakers are trying to effectively reinstate the ban with a proposal Monday to make it easier to file malpractice lawsuits against doctors who provide such care. The proposal, which has been endorsed by a Senate committee, would allow someone who received gender-affirming care as a minor to file a malpractice lawsuit against their doctor for up to 30 years after they turn 18. Under current Arkansas law, medical malpractice claims must be filed within two years of what the law refers to as an “injury.” (DeMillo, 2/14)
AP: Tennessee Closes In On Trans Youth Care Ban; Lawsuit Pledged
Tennessee’s Republican-led Senate approved a measure Monday that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors, spurring civil rights groups to promise an immediate lawsuit if and when it becomes law. The Senate’s 26-6 vote keeps the bill on a fast track to passage even though there’s more work to be done on the House side. GOP legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Bill Lee spoke favorably about the ban even before a bill was filed. (Mattise and Kruesi, 2/14)
BuzzFeedNews: Trans Activist Injects Testosterone At Florida Board Meeting
Courtesy Lindsey SperoLast Friday, Lindsey Spero woke up early to make the four-hour drive from St. Petersburg to Tallahassee to testify in front of Florida’s boards of medicine and osteopathic medicine. They and a dozen other trans organizers expected a ban on gender-affirming care for minors to be approved, but they had been angered by Gov. Ron DeSantis’s increasing attacks on trans kids and wanted their voices to be heard. Spero, who is 25 and nonbinary, waited through three hours of testimony from dozens of youth and their families before it was his turn to speak. ... Spero then opened up his supply kit, which he had laid out on the podium, took out his syringe, and placed the cap in his mouth. He drew back the needle before placing the subcutaneous shot in his stomach. (Kalish, 2/13)
BuzzFeedNews: A 16-Year-Old Trans Girl Who Was Popular On TikTok Was Fatally Stabbed In The UK
British authorities are investigating the killing of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey, who was stabbed to death in a park in northwestern England this past weekend. Ghey, who was transgender, maintained a popular TikTok account with thousands of followers where she posted dance and lip-synching videos. She posted her final video hours before she was killed in Cheshire on Saturday. (Kalish, 2/13)
