California Senator Scott Wiener has joined lawmakers from 18 other refuge states to create legal protections for transgender minors and their parents. This comes on the heels of a new Alabama law criminalizing gender-affirming treatments for trans youth.
Several state lawmakers co-authored a bill that would protect medical records of families seeking gender-affirming care in California. The goal of the bill is to keep out-of-state authorities from using those records to punish families or take their children away. It would also bar California police from arresting people who are wanted out-of-state solely for helping minors receive gender-affirming healthcare.
Alabama banned gender-affirming care for trans youth effective this week. The Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, makes it illegal to seek or prescribe hormones or puberty blockers for transgender minors.
The law doesn’t just target parents or health care workers. It also requires school counselors and nurses to report children who disclose that they may be transgender. Those who break this law could face up to ten years in prison.
In response, California state Senator Scott Wiener, altered a billto add protections for any out-of-state families seeking healthcare treatments for trans youth. Wiener represents District 11, which covers San Francisco, Colma, Daly City and parts of South San Francisco.