SB 613 law makes it a felony for healthcare workers to provide children under 18 with gender surgery, puberty-blocking drugs, or hormone doses that suppress or delay normal puberty. It also bans using any medications or surgical procedures for gender transition. Violators can have their medical licenses revoked or face civil actions from a parent or guardian.
Governor Stitt stated, "Last year, I called for a statewide ban on all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors so I am thrilled to sign this into law today and protect our kids. We cannot turn a blind eye to what's happening across our nation, and as governor, I am proud to stand up for what's right and ban life-altering transition surgeries on children in the state of Oklahoma."
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At least 16 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota, and West Virginia, have enacted laws restricting or banning gender surgery for minors.
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Ongoing litigation has blocked the enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas. Nearly two dozen states are considering or debating bills this year to restrict or ban sex reassignment procedures.
May 02, 2023
Republican-led states have pushed for restricting or outlawing such procedures, arguing that children under 18 are not old enough to think through the consequences of potentially life-altering decisions. Democratic-led states have argued that the decision to reassign a child's sex should be left to the child with or without their parent or guardians' support.
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and other civil liberty organizations have promised to "take any necessary legal action" to prevent the Oklahoma law from being enacted.
Florida, Missouri, and Texas have also banned or restricted medical procedures to change a person's sex via regulations or administrative orders. A judge partially blocked Texas Governor Greg Abbott's ruling as it required child welfare officials to investigate reports of children undergoing sex reassignment as child abuse.
Missouri is the only state that has limited such procedures for children and adults, but a federal judge has blocked these restrictions.
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