Recently, the Louisiana legislature voted to override the veto of Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards over a bill that protects children from life-changing gender procedures. The “Stop Harming Our Kids Act” is the bill in question, which seeks to prohibit doctors from performing transgender sex-change procedures on children.
The bill will prevent surgeries such as double mastectomies on girls choosing to identify as boys and prevent puberty blockers from being administered to boys who identify as girls. Louisiana lawmakers celebrated the victory of blocking the veto from the democrat mayor, clearing a path for the bill to be implemented. The House vetoed the gubernatorial veto in a 75-23 vote, consisting of 69 Republicans and six other Democrats joining them.
“Today was a huge win for the children of Louisiana! I’m proud of my colleagues in the state legislature for standing up to protect the children of our great state. We made it clear today that our children are worth fighting for,” said Louisiana Republican Rep. Gabe Firment. “This great victory would not have been possible without the prayers and support of parents, grandparents, pastors, and grassroots organizations from around the state who rose up and declared with one voice that ‘No one in Louisiana has the right to harm a child’. God Bless the families of our beautiful state!”
Louisiana Rep. Laurie Schlegel argued that gender dysphoria in children usually disappears following puberty, so such life-altering surgeries that permanently alter the body should not be permitted. She suggested that such children should seek mental health aid instead,
“As a counselor, I know of no other mental health disorder where we affirm distorted thinking. We don’t affirm the distorted thinking of anorexic children who suffer body dysmorphia, do we? And since studies have shown that gender dysphoria does not persist in most children past puberty, why would any so called treatment include irreversible medical procedures,” said Schlegel. “The suggestion that the only hope for children experiencing gender dysphoria is cross-sex hormone therapy, puberty blockers, or life changing sex operations is ludicrous. These children need intensive mental health counseling.”
Other state legislators shared similar sentiments that medical procedures with such profound implications should not be administered to children. Senator John Morris stated these operations were “experimental procedures on minors that were irreversible,” further outlining possible long-term health consequences that could result from them, such as fertility problems.
Before this vote, there had only been two successful vetos against a gubernatorial veto since the state adopted a new constitution in 1974. This is a huge win for conservatives in Louisiana, where strategists claim it has sent a strong message to politicians in the state.
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“This bill was ground zero for the veto session and will show up in every single race this year in Louisiana. The legislature sent a historic message, loud and clear, that in Louisiana, children are off limits. Anyone thinking about running for office here should take note,” Louisiana Republican strategist Lionel Rainey III stated.
Louisiana has joined nearly 20 other states that have taken similar political action against such transgender procedures. Many red states are exercising localized state power to fight against such woke social issues.