The United States House of Representatives has approved a controversial bill that seeks to outlaw gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors across the nation. The legislation, known as the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, was passed on Wednesday by a narrow margin, setting the stage for a contentious battle in the Senate.
What Does the Bill Propose?
The bill was passed with 216 votes in favour and 211 against. Sponsored by Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the legislation aims to amend federal law to criminalise what it terms "genital or bodily mutilation" and "chemical castration" of individuals under 18 years of age. This language directly targets surgeries and pharmacological treatments, such as puberty blockers, that help align a transgender minor's physical characteristics with their gender identity.
Under the proposed law, any medical professional performing or facilitating such procedures would face severe penalties. The punishment includes up to 10 years in federal prison and substantial fines. While the bill explicitly outlaws female genital mutilation (FGM), its primary focus, as stated by its supporters, is to prohibit gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
A Deeply Partisan Divide
The debate surrounding the bill highlights a sharp political split. Proponents, like Representative Cory Mills, argue it is necessary to protect minors from making irreversible decisions. "This important bill...will criminalise gender-affirming care on minors, not adults, on minors who have not yet grown up to make adult decisions," Greene stated ahead of the vote.
The legislation is seen as aligning with former President Donald Trump's policies, with Greene calling it a direct reflection of his executive orders and campaign promises. The Trump administration has previously moved to restrict transgender individuals from serving in the military and opposed transgender athletes in women's sports.
However, the bill has faced fierce opposition from Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, strongly denounced the move. "All Republican politicians care about is making the rich richer and attacking trans people," she told reporters.
Criticism and the Road Ahead
Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) condemned the bill, stating it "attempts to strip both transgender and intersex people of their freedom to make decisions about their own bodies." The group also pointed out a critical inconsistency: the bill still permits surgeries on intersex infants, which they label as "non-consensual surgeries that are actual cases of mutilation."
Sinead Murano-Kinney, a health policy analyst with A4TE, argued, "This bill is not about protecting children — it is about enforcing outdated ideas of sex and gender through coercion and violence."
The future of the Protect Children’s Innocence Act is now uncertain. It has been sent to the Senate, where it faces a tougher path to passage and would likely need support from some Democrats to become law. The outcome will have significant implications for transgender youth and healthcare providers across the United States.
