Editors’ note: This article contains references to transphobia and suicide.
On Feb. 1, Oklahoma State Senator Warren Hamilton introduced Oklahoma Senate Bill 676 to the Oklahoma State Senate. A second reading of the bill has now been referred to the Health and Human Services Committee, which will be followed by a reading by the Appropriations Committee. The bill aims to create a new section of law, making gender reassignment medical treatment illegal for all people under the age of 18 and all people under the age of 21 who do not have the support of a parent or guardian. Gender reassignment treatment, as defined by this bill, would include treatment to suppress secondary sex characteristics, treatment to align a person’s appearance with their gender identity and procedures to alleviate clinically significant distress caused by dysphoria. The minimum sentence for breaking this law would be 3 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine.
Bill 676 is incredibly dangerous. It follows the rhetoric used by transphobic individuals that they only want to “protect children.” However, this bill does exactly the opposite. Puberty is one of the most tumultuous times for teenagers, and it can be especially difficult and dangerous for transgender individuals. Physical changes caused by puberty can lead to increased gender dysphoria for transgender persons, an extreme discomfort with or lack of recognition for one’s self and one’s body or physical appearance. For some youths experiencing dysphoria, the use of hormone blockers or hormone replacement is vital to their comfort and their ability to process their feelings and identity.
Transgender teens are more likely to consider and act on suicidal thoughts. The feeling of being disconnected from one’s physicality can be incredibly distressing, and lack of awareness and social support for transitioning creates added emotional and psychological pressures for trans people. Even if they have the help of a supportive parent, Bill 676 cuts off viable ways for transgender youths to save themselves emotional trauma and distress.
Bills like this condescend to the very people they claim to protect. They are made with the idea that teenagers do not have the mental capacity or maturity to understand themselves and know who they are before they become adults. For many trans people, waiting until they are adults is too long, too distressing, too uncomfortable, and too late. One of the main reasons trans teens may struggle with their identities is a lack of resources and publicly available knowledge about trans identities. Bill 676 would limit those conversations to hypotheticals, fundamentally declaring that teens cannot have the resources to learn more about themselves while simultaneously claiming to give them the chance and time to do so.
To suggest that teens need extra time to discover their identities is to suggest that teens can grow out of being trans if given enough time. While in language Bill 676 acknowledges the existence of transgender identities, in action it eliminates any acknowledgment that trans minors exist. Being trans is not something that is made up, nor is it a passing phase. Identity is fluid, and yes, some youths may consider and change their minds about different aspects of their identity before deciding how they want to identify. But this bill doesn’t just ask them for patience and consideration; it locks them into a defined path they may not agree with, potentially leading to dangerous levels of emotional and psychological distress. Bill 676 is, at best, a naïve attempt at preventing cisgender people from having to consider transgender identities as valid, and at worst a thinly disguised attempt at completely oppressing a marginalized group.
A teenager is fully capable of self-determination. People, be they adults or teens, are not going to undergo life-changing surgery and treatment without consulting with professionals from various fields. This bill would make it impossible for medical professionals to even work on these matters, lest they wind up in prison for three years. Bill 676 makes consulting a medical professional virtually useless. By limiting doctors’ abilities, this bill isn’t even giving teens the resources they need to consider whether they want to transition or not. If a patient decides to pursue a gender reassignment treatment, it is only because they firmly believe that treatment will make them a happier and more fulfilled individual. Nobody does life-altering surgery for fun.
Bills disguised as “protection for the youth” while limiting the resources available to them is hypocritical, unethical, and irresponsible. This bill would cut trans teens off from any support for their identities aside from emotional support, which is a poor consolation prize for a group of people who are capable of understanding themselves and need the resources to address their concerns safely.
The fight for transgender rights is an ongoing one, and we need to remain wary of the various tactics used to suppress marginalized identities in all forms. The editors of Student Publications urge the members of the campus community to contact their state senators and express their opinions on Senate Bill 676.
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