Texas Senate votes to ban medical gender transition of minors
Kai Shappley and kids like her are at the core of an intense controversy that has finally reached the floor of the Texas Senate.
"Texas legislators have been attacking me since Pre-K," said the Fourth grader in recent testimony at the State Capitol.
Some say today that "attack" took the form of Senate Bill 1646.
"At the end of the day, this is an adult decision and should be made by the adult themselves," said State Senator Charles Perry of Lubbock.
Perry was speaking about gender transition and limiting a parent's authority to access medical procedures for their children which escalate the process before the age of consent.
"I don't think a parental right should include being able to alter that child in an irreversible way into perpetuity," said Perry during debate on Senate floor.
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Perry's bill would prohibit Texas parents from providing their children with "cross-sex hormone therapy", as well as re-assignment surgery before the age of 18.
"83 to 84 percent of the time a child that goes through puberty normally that was considering these issues. ends up not transitioning," said Perry.
Opponents of SB 1646 have disputed the veracity of the research behind the claim.
Houston Democrat John Whitmire and other Democrats offered heavy push back charging Perry with criminalizing health care essential to keeping kids in genuine transition from hurting themselves.
"You are really taking a family's decision and a parent's decision away from them...I'd like to say, I don't think you know what you are talking about, " said Whitmire.
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"My biggest concern is the suicide rate and if we don't let people live as they are, would they choose not to live?" said State Senator Jose Menendez, a San Antonio Democrat.
Tentatively approved along strictly partisan lines, Senators must still take a final vote before the measure can move to the Texas House for consideration.