Louisiana Senate Rejects Bill to Ban Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Minors

Louisiana's House Bill 648, which would have banned gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors, was defeated in the state Senate Health and Welfare Committee. State Senator Fred Mills, a Republican, voted with all Democrats to defer the bill, citing his trust in physicians to make medical decisions in the best interest of patients. The bill would have barred healthcare professionals from administering gender-affirming medical care to patients under 18, under the threat of having their professional licenses revoked. With the defeat of the bill, Louisiana becomes a haven for gender-affirming healthcare in the deep south, where transition-related care for transgender youths and some adults is already banned in a majority of states.