CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have restricted access to gender-affirming care for transgender people under the age of 18.
House Bill 808 would have approved a ban on hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgeries. It was more stringent than what was previously passed in the North Carolina House after the Senate approved a proposal that would prohibit any health care provider in the state from giving such care to anyone under 18, with exceptions for certain procedures or disorders. Doctors who violated the restrictions could have their licenses revoked and could be sued.
HB808 was among three Republican-led bills that Cooper vetoed. The others related to rules for transgender athletes and a ban on elementary schools from teaching any curriculum involving the acknowledgment of LGBTQ issues.
"A doctor’s office is no place for politicians, and North Carolina should continue to let parents and medical professionals make decisions about the best way to offer gender care for their children," Cooper said in a statement. "Ordering doctors to stop following approved medical protocols sets a troubling precedent and is dangerous for vulnerable youth and their mental health. The government should not make itself both the parent and the doctor."
Republican leaders defended the bill, saying it is a way to stop kids from making permanent changes should they later change their minds. Sen. Paul Newton, who is from Cabarrus County, told WRAL that the rising rates of transgender identification are a "fad."
LGBTQ+ rights groups and parents of transgender youth fighting these limits said these bills will lead to increased depression for these young people and risk of suicide. They joined transgender persons in committee hearings recently demanding that the House and Senate measures be halted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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