Maine pushes to become 'transgender safe haven' where minors can receive sex-change surgery and can't be returned to their parents - as outraged community leaders try to slow efforts
The 'Act to Safeguard Gender Affirming Health Care' would help out of state minors get access to hormone treatments and surgery
Opponents have labelled it 'state sanctioned kidnapping' and a 'transgender trafficking' bill
There was a work session scheduled for Wednesday but the meeting was postponed until January 25
By ISABELLE STANLEY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17 January 2024
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12975029/Maine-transgender-safe-haven-bill-teens-care-parents.html
Maine's 'Act to Safeguard Gender Affirming Health Care' was written to allow minors (Folks who are 16 and 17 years of age) access to hormone treatments, but not surgery. Perhaps the Daily Mail article has a typo where-in the 'non' in non-surgical care was omitted. Of course, there is no possibility the Daily Mail would intentionally do such an underhanded and dishonest thing, right?
'Governor Mills Signs LD 535, An Act Regarding Consent for Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy for Certain Minors
A new law signed by Governor Mills today will allow transgender minors who have reached a minimum age of 16, have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and are being harmed or will be from being denied medically necessary health care, to have a medical pathway to receive such care. LD 535 authorizes
16- and 17-year-olds in those circumstances and who meet detailed requirements of counseling and informed consent to receive evidence-based, medically recommended non-surgical care if they are deemed competent to give such consent and their parents refuse to provide the required care.'
https://www.glad.org/new-law-ensures-pathway-to-essential-healthcare-for-transgender-minors/#:~:text=A%20new%20law%20signed%20by,pathway%20to%20receive%20such%20care.
According to Maine Public, 'The bill would allow a doctor to prescribe non-surgical interventions, such as gender-affirming hormone therapies like estrogen and testosterone, to 16- and 17-year-olds.
But several senators pointed out that the bill only
allows non-surgical interventions such as medications whose effects only last as long as the drug is taken. The bill was given initial approval in the Senate on a 20-14 vote and in the House on a vote of 73-60.' https://www.mainepublic.org/health/2023-06-27/bill-allowing-transgender-minors-to-receive-gender-affirming-care-moves-ahead-in-maine-legislature
