Missouri GOP Passes Anti-Trans Bills Targeting Healthcare, Athletics

Missouri House Republicans recently passed two bills targeting transgender individuals' rights within the state: a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth (SB 49) and legislation prohibiting trans female athletes from participating in women's sports (SB 39). SB 49, passed by a 108-50 vote and pending the governor's signature, prevents health providers from prescribing or administering hormone therapy or puberty-blocking drugs to minors unless they were receiving treatment before August 28, 2023. This bill also bans gender-transition surgeries for those under 18 and can result in the loss of medical licenses for noncompliance.

Gender-affirming care, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers essential for the mental health and well-being of gender-diverse youth, is supported by nearly all major U.S. medical associations. The Missouri House Democratic Caucus condemned SB 49 for denying transgender children's humanity and identity, characterizing it as hateful and discriminatory. Like SB 49, SB 39 also passed with a distinct majority, imposing a ban on trans women and girls competing in women's sports in public and private schools, including colleges.

Missouri's Medicaid program, MO HealthNet, will also be affected by SB 49's provisions as it will no longer provide gender-affirming treatment to individuals in jails, correctional centers, or prisons. In response to both bills' passing, House Democrats criticized their potential to 'persecute and vilify transgender children.' House Minority Floor Leader Crystal Quade condemned the legislative decisions as dehumanizing, reprehensible, and a clear affirmation of the majority's failure to protect the vulnerable from government overreach. The bills will now be sent to Republican Governor Mike Parson, and although his support is uncertain, it is unlikely he will veto them. Finally, it is worth noting that out of the 48 bills introduced in the Missouri state legislature this year alone, a significant portion directly threatens young transgender persons' rights.