The Texas House voted to advance Senate Bill SB 14 Friday that will ban evidence-based, life-saving health care for transgender adolescents in Texas. The bill bans puberty blockers & hormone therapy which have been used & proven to treat gender dysphoria for decades. Emmett Schelling, Executive Director, Transgender Education Network of Texas stated, “Today was ugly, but I am reminded that one of the fundamental parts of our trans experience is the deep understanding that we are all we have. Queer & Trans Texans are united in the fight to build a world in our vision on our terms.” Ricardo Martinez, CEO at Equality Texas added, “I am beyond angry that we must keep showing up to defend the dignity, privacy & liberty of our neighbors. Banning health care that literally saves lives should not be an option. The public debate about the value of our lives is not legitimate & it is out of touch with true Texas Values. This is part of a nefarious plan to eliminate us from public life. But it won’t work. We will not stop fighting for our rights. Not now, not ever.” Ash Hall, Policy & Advocacy Strategist at the ACLU of Texas concluded, “This is a dark day in Texas. Our legislature has turned its back on science, parents, & the safety & lives of children. Our hearts break for transgender young people in our state who have repeatedly been attacked by their own government for callous political gain. This legislation is vicious, it’s cruel & it’s blatantly unconstitutional. The bigotry & discrimination in this bill will not stand up in court & it will not stand the test of time. Transgender people have always existed & always will & the vast majority of Texans do not support harming them or cutting off this life-saving healthcare.”
No comments:
Post a Comment