TULSA, Okla. — Since passing in the Senate Wednesday, a bill aiming to ban gender transition procedures for minors in Oklahoma has divided many voices in the State Capitol and in the community.
Governor Kevin Stitt outlined in his State of The State earlier this month that he’d like to sign into law a bill that bans gender affirming care to kids under 18 years old. This would prohibit anything medical that aids in a minor’s transition to the gender they identify with.
Bartlesville State Sen. Julie Daniels' SB 613 would do just that.
Her fellow Republican state lawmakers as well as conservative think tank members like Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Johnathan Small say the bill's signing would protect children whose bodies aren’t fully developed.
“Many things are illegal for people to do in our state under 18," Small told 2 News. "And it’s because we know that children generally have not developed the mental capacity to comprehend what a permanent decision is for their entire life.”
Others like Oklahoma Progress Now’s Nick Singer think all transgender-related bills are simply a waste of resources.
“It is going to cause Oklahoma a lot of grief," Singer said. "I think it is gonna harm our medical community. It’s gonna harm especially transgender Oklahomans.”
OU Health already announced last September it would cease some of its operations for gender affirming care.
However, numerous medical bodies and studies have stated that care can be safely provided and even help pediatric mental health to those between genders – with or without permanent transitions.
Tulsa-native Karee Brinlee told 2 News she can speak to living a childhood with gender dysphoria, and she wants politicians to consider her perspective.
“Being transgender is not a choice,” Brinlee said.
“To restrict care to these children - these young people that have expressed their feelings of gender dysphoria and go through medically necessary treatments that are proven by every major medical association in America - is really political malpractice.”
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