Many Laws Affect Transgender Minors

In recent years transgender related subjects have been very controversial. Many laws have been made limiting transgender minors and their treatment. Such laws include House File 180, which according to itself, prohibits schools from “Facilitating any accommodation that is intended to affirm a student’s gender identity, if that gender identity is different than the sex listed on the student’s official birth certificate [without parental approval.]” Essentially meaning that teachers cannot refer to a trans student by their preferred nomenclature or pronouns without a form being filled out by their parent/guardian. This can cause issues in the case of a parent who doesn’t approve or if the trans student has not told their parent.

Another law would be House File 623. This law prevents any minor from receiving medically unnecessary gender-affirming surgery or hormone therapy. This includes hormone blockers too. One notable exception HF623 lists is in the case of a sex development disorder, “including a minor with external biological sex characteristics that are irresolvably ambiguous.” These surgeries are medically unnecessary and typically entirely cosmetic surgeries performed on infants. Many intersex people consider it to be a form of genital mutilation. This is, of course, very controversial. HF623 tries to prevent surgeries on children with permanent effects and believes they aren’t old enough to make those sorts of decisions. But it allows for these intersex medical interventions to be performed.

Transgender student Mc Sheets, a sophomore at WHS, shared their opinion on these laws. “I think that the government should back out of people’s lives. They don’t need to worry about someone’s gender as much as they need to worry about the major issues of the country. If they’re concerned about people expressing themselves, then they aren’t dealing with our economic issues or overseas issues. It’s unneeded and it doesn’t even go against them. The only reason they have to limit people’s expression is because they fear the personality of the people. By limiting our rights, they feel in control of things that shouldn’t,” he said, “People should be able to express themselves any way they want, we have long-held amendments saying that. There is no reason for them to take that away.”

Another trans student, wishing to stay anonymous, stated his thoughts on the matter. “I am hurt. I am afraid. But most of all, I feel sorry. Sorry for the children who are born into a world with withering tolerance for who they are, and who they will become. I am sorry for the people who are making these laws, whose decisions are guided by fear and malice, whose hearts can care about nothing but that fear and malice, and who will not try to understand,” he told me, “I am afraid because not knowing is the same as hate, at some point. Willful ignorance is translated into ignorance, which turns itself into fear, which eventually turns into hate. I am afraid that I may never be able to be a teacher. I am afraid that if I come out in the years to come, my family or I may be targeted for crimes that won’t be investigated.” He asked, “Why must I pray to one day be tolerated?”

WHS sophomore, William Hurst, said, “I’m a bit more neutral on the laws. I think there’s definitely some reasoning to House File 180 since it is important to guide young people. The law still allows transgender people to get support from the school as a minor, it just requires that a parent supports and helps the minor through the process. Which I believe can be beneficial. There definitely are plenty of cases where the student is uncomfortable talking to their parents or their parents don’t support their change, which is a huge negative of the law. But as far as laws go I think the pros outweigh the cons of the law. Although I believe that every case should be viewed individually and the government shouldn’t just lay a broad law over everyone since there are always going to be weird cases where a law doesn’t work properly. In general I believe that the laws could be changed slightly, especially as the world changes more, to adapt and help young people.”