Montana State Senator John Fuller has again introduced legislation aimed at transgender youth, specifically Senate Bill 164, which seeks to criminalize gender-affirming care under child abuse statutes for individuals under 16. This move follows previous unsuccessful attempts to pass anti-trans laws and comes after the State Supreme Court overturned Fuller's prior similar law in 2023. Critics, including the ACLU, argue that this legislation infringes upon the medical rights of families and physicians, marking a significant escalation in conservative efforts to reshape Montana's judicial landscape and impact LGBTQ+ rights.
"Every major medical association in America endorses the provision of this type of care," the ACLU of Montana's executive director Akilah Deernose said. "This bill would mandate government overreach into private decisions that should remain between families and their treating care physician."
Fuller, the bill's sponsor, has a lengthy track record of trying-and failing-to enact anti-trans laws. In 2021, he introduced two separate bills targeting medical practitioners providing gender-affirming care, neither of which made it out of the legislature.
Fuller's 2023 version of the youth health care bill passed in the state's House and Senate. Republican Governor Greg Gianforte signed it into law, only for state courts to deem this, too, 'unconstitutional' - citing Montanans' right to privacy.
This time, instead of a flat-out ban, Fuller's bill reclassifies medical treatments for trans young people under Montana child abuse statutes. It specifically targets treatments for trans patients younger than 16 years old.
Collection
[
|
...
]