According to a new bill passed through the Alabama Senate early in March, transgender youth in the state will not be able to receive gender-affirming hormone blockers, hormones, or surgery. Those who violate this could face up to 10 years in prison (AP News). 

The bill was sponsored by Senator Shay Shelnutt and is now moving to the Alabama House of Representatives for approval. “Children aren’t mature enough to make these decisions on surgeries and drugs. The whole point is to protect kids,” said Shelnutt when questioned about why he created this bill (AP News). The bill would also require schools to tell a student’s parents if they express that their gender identity is different from their biological sex, regardless of the student’s permission or whether or not they are ready to do so (CBS). 

Similar bills have been discussed in other states, and the passing of this bill will set an important precedent for transgender issues and laws in the future. “Lawmakers are insisting that they know what’s best for transgender young people and ignoring the recommendations of medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and more,” Allison Scott, a director in the Campaign for Southern Equality, said in a statement made in response to the bill (Southern Equality). Protests against this bill have been organized by Scott’s organization, along with the Alabama ACU, AIDS Alabama, and others (CBS). “It contradicts the consensus of major medical associations and the overwhelming evidence that demonstrates how affirming transgender and nonbinary youth in their identities reduces suicide risk and improves health,” said Sam Brinton, a member of The Trevor Project (The Trevor Project). “This legislation will endanger young trans lives in Alabama.”