Colorado is the first state to legislate “tourism” for the treatment of transgender teenagers as part of a trio of laws signed by the Democratic governor.
The new laws mean health care providers cannot be sued by red states, where sex-affirming drugs and surgery are illegal, if their residents travel to Colorado for treatment.
That makes Colorado a safe haven for under-18s with gender dysphoria seeking puberty blockers, hormone therapy and sex-reassignment surgery — which have been banned in more than a dozen Republican states.
Two other states — Indiana and Idaho — have banned transgender child care and signed into law
The trio of new laws signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis establish Colorado as a safe haven for access to abortion and access to transitional health care for transgender people
Leading medical authorities in the US support so-called gender-affirming care for minors, but conservatives and some experts argue that children are too young to make irreversible changes to their bodies.
The three bills Governor Jared Polis signed into law Friday also protect health care providers from prosecution by neighboring states if their residents travel to Colorado for abortions.
Neighboring states Wyoming and Oklahoma are among the red states that have severely restricted transgender minor care and abortion.
gov. Polis said, “Here in Colorado, we value individual liberties, and we stand up to protect them…I applaud the work being done by lawyers and legislators to strengthen Colorado’s reputation as a beacon of freedom, also a beacon of choice.” beacons promote. of individuality where we live our own lives on our own terms in a Colorado for all.”
Democratic Senator Julie Gonzales added: “See you, and in Colorado we stand behind you.”
But conservatives pushed back on liberal efforts to make interstate travel easier for limited health care workers.
For example, Republican-controlled Idaho was the first state to pass legislation specifically restricting certain out-of-state travel for abortions.
In Colorado, the Republican minority-led debates on the bills lasted more than 29 hours.
State and federal lawmakers have called interstate travel for controversial health care “abortion tourism,” prompting Democrats to strengthen constitutional protections for free interstate travel.
Abortion is restricted or completely banned in states centered mainly on the southern United States
Democratic Sen. Julie Gonzales, a supporter of the bills, said, “We see you and in Colorado we have your back.”
Last year, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada introduced a bill called the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act, which would make it illegal for an individual or government official to prevent or penalize travel across state lines to obtain reproductive health care to give or receive. it’s legal in this state.’
Senate Republicans shot it down, calling it radical and an attempt to “inflame the public” and fuel “what if” questions.
Democrat-led New Mexico passed a similar Abortion Protection Act earlier this year to legally protect people seeking abortions or gender-affirming treatment and those providing the treatments from interstate examinations.
Colorado’s government stands in contrast to a largely Republican group of Midwestern states, which in recent years have severely limited transgender people’s access to puberty blockers, hormone therapy and menopausal surgery and banned them from caring for minors. straight ahead
Expecting the Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 decision guaranteeing the right to abortion, last spring Polis and the legislature voted with a Democratic majority to codify the right to the procedure in the state constitution, meaning that every Colorado who has one, wants one abortion, can get one regardless of the SCOTUS ruling.
America’s red wave of trans bans continues with Indiana and Idaho
Indiana and Idaho are the thirteenth and fourteenth states to ban puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery for under-18s. They join a growing list of Republican states expressing concern about transgender childcare while Democrats claim they violate children’s human rights.
In the months before the June decision and immediately after, emergency trips to Colorado from anti-abortion states for abortion services rose 33 percent, the third highest of any state. The upward trend began in April, around the time Colorado’s neighbor, Texas, passed a vigilante-style law banning abortion at six weeks.
Colorado also became the first state, in October 2021, to include transgender transition-related care in the state’s basic health care requirements, meaning people who want access to these transition services can use the health insurance they pay for to get the care what they need. .
Already poor access to transition care services, also known as gender-affirming care, is rapidly disappearing in the United States.
More than a dozen states have restricted access to some extent. Recently, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb banned all transitional care for minors beginning in July.
That means minors currently receiving transitional care in Indiana have until the end of the year to stop it. As of July 1, transgender youth under the age of 18 will not be able to access hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgery in the state.
The June 2022 Supreme Court decision that returned the power to enforce abortion policies to individual states has led to a confusing patchwork of laws governing the process in the United States. The conflicting laws coupled with longer wait times have created a new pattern of migration, with patients forced to travel hours or even days to an abortion-friendly state.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
