Mountain Media, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
Subscribe For $2.50/Month
No Result
View All Result
MM, LLC
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account
No Result
View All Result
Mountain Media, LLC
  • Virginia News
  • West Virginia News
  • National News
  • Login
  • My account
  • Subscribe
Home Local WV State News

West Virginia GOP Legislature passes transgender care ban

March 12, 2023
in WV State News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A bill that would ban evidence-based health care for transgender minors in West Virginia, the state estimated to have more transgender youth per capita than any other in the nation, is headed to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice.

The Republican governor has not taken a public stance on the measure and it’s unclear whether he will sign it into law. A spokesperson said he was unavailable for comment Saturday.

A 2017 study by UCLA Law’s The Williams Institute estimated West Virginia had the highest per capita rate of transgender youth in the country.

Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association, supports gender-affirming care for youths.

But lawmakers in West Virginia and other states advancing bans on transgender health care for youth and young adults often characterize gender-affirming treatments as medically unproven, potentially dangerous in the long term and a symptom of “woke” culture.

The bill in West Virginia would outlaw those under 18 from being prescribed hormone therapy and fully reversible medication for suspending the physical changes of puberty, allowing patients and parents time to make future decisions about hormone therapy.

The legislation also includes a ban on gender-affirming surgery for minors, something medical professionals emphasize does not happen in West Virginia anyway.

The bill contains significant exemptions to the medication therapy ban for people under the age of 18 at risk for suicide, provisions added in the final week of the 60-day legislative session, which ended Saturday.

The changes, made at the urging of Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, who is a physician, would allow some transgender youth to continue receiving medical interventions under certain circumstances, including hormone therapy if they experience severe gender dysphoria.

Gender dysphoria is defined by medical professionals as severe psychological distress experienced by those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.

During a speech on the Senate floor late Friday night, Takubo referenced 17 peer-reviewed studies showing a significant decrease in the rates of suicide ideation and suicide attempts among youth with severe gender dysphoria who have access to medication therapy.

“These kids struggle, they have incredible difficulties,” he said.

The rate of suicide ideation, or having suicidal thoughts or ideas, for transgender youth in Virginia is three times higher than the rate for all youth in the state, according to research complied by West Virginia University Medicine physicians using West Virginia Youth Risk Behavior Survey data.

The version of the bill first passed by West Virginia’s Republican supermajority House of Delegates last month contained no exemptions for mental health.

The House on Saturday unanimously approved the Senate’s changes. The amended bill then passed 88-10, with all ‘no’ votes coming from the body’s shrinking delegation of Democrats.

Democratic Del. Ric Griffith, who was the only legislator who spoke on the floor about the measure, voiced support for the mental health exemptions and was later one of only two lawmakers in the minority party to vote for the amended bill.

“We talk a lot about, ‘Parents know what’s best for their children,’” the Wayne County lawmaker said. “This is a fairly narrow allowance when a child could potentially be suicidal.”

Under the amended bill, a person below the age of 18 would need to be diagnosed with severe gender dysphoria by at least two medical or mental health providers to gain access to medication therapy, including a mental health provider or adolescent medicine specialist.

The dosage must be the lowest possible necessary to “treat the psychiatric condition and not for purposes of gender alteration,” according to the bill.

Providers must be specifically trained to diagnose and treat severe gender dysphoria in adolescents and provide written testimony saying medical interventions are necessary to prevent or limit possible or actual self-harm. The minor’s parents or guardians would be required to give written consent to the treatments.

Hormonal therapy could not be provided to minors before the age of puberty, something West Virginia physicians say doesn’t happen anyway.

The bill includes exceptions originating in the House version for individuals born with a “medically verifiable disorder,” including people with ambiguous “external biological sex characteristics” and for people taking treatments for infection, injury, disease or disorder that has been “caused by or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition procedures.”

People also can access treatment if they are in “imminent danger of death, or impairment of a major bodily function unless surgery is performed.”

The vote to send the bill to the governor came two days after a crowd of protesters descended on the state Capitol, where cries of “trans kids matter” could be heard from the Senate chamber as lawmakers debated bills.

Democratic Del. Danielle Walker, the Legislature’s only openly LGBTQ member, led chants of the state motto: “Mountaineers are always free.”

ShareTweetShare

Related Posts

Digital literacy: Can the republic ‘survive an algorithm?’

March 20, 2023

SEATTLE (AP) — Shawn Lee, a high school social studies teacher in Seattle, wants to see lessons on internet akin...

Trump silent on abortion as ’24 campaign pushes forward

March 20, 2023

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — No elected Republican has done more to restrict abortion rights in the U.S. than Donald Trump. But...

Sandler receives Mark Twain Prize, praise from comic pals

March 20, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam Sandler placed his hand on the bronze bust of Mark Twain and speculated that it “one...

How to shop for new insurance if you lose Medicaid coverage

March 19, 2023

Medicaid coverage will end for millions of Americans in the coming months, and it will push many into unfamiliar territory:...

Minnesota hires West Virginia’s Plitzuweit to replace Whalen

March 19, 2023

Minnesota hired West Virginia head coach Dawn Plitzuweit on Saturday to a six-year contract, turning to another leader with strong...

Saturday’s Scores

March 19, 2023

BOYS PREP BASKETBALL= WVSSAC State Tournament= Class AAAA= Championship= Morgantown 65, Parkersburg South 58 Class AAA= Championship= Fairmont Senior 47,...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • My account
  • Subscribe
  • Classifieds
Call us: +1 234 JEG THEME

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • West Virginia News
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • Mountain Messenger
      • Pocahontas Times
      • Parsons Advocate
      • Pendleton Times
      • Clay County Free Press
      • Calhoun Chronicle
      • Shinnston News
    • By County
      • Greenbrier County
      • Clay County
      • Harrison County
      • Calhoun County
      • Pocahontas County
      • Pendleton County
      • Tucker County
  • Virginia Media, INC
    • Around The State
    • By Paper
      • The Enterprise
      • Fincastle Herald
      • Henry County Enterprise
      • News Messenger
      • News Journal
      • Vinton Messenger
      • New Castle Record
      • Salem Times Register
    • By County/City
      • Botetourt County
      • Henry County
      • Radford
      • Christiansburg/Blacksburg
      • Patrick County
      • Vinton
      • Roanoke
      • Salem
      • Craig County
  • National News
  • About Us
  • Submit Content
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • My account

© 2021 Mountain Media, LLC

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Sign in
  • New account

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login