Louisiana House approves ban on gender treatments for minors

Louisiana would become the 18th state to bar gender treatments for minors should the measure become law.

By Ben Whedon

Published: June 7, 2023 7:24pm

The Louisiana state House on Wednesday approved a ban on gender-related treatments for minors by a veto-proof margin.

The state Senate approved the measure on Monday, setting up a standoff with Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has previously voiced opposition to the plan.

Republicans enjoy supermajorities in both chambers and the measure passed with sufficient support in both chambers to overcome a prospective gubernatorial veto, though Edwards has not yet indicated whether he would object to the ban becoming law, according to the New York Times.

"The people of Louisiana have made it clear that our children are worth fighting for," said Republican state Rep. Gabe Firment, the bill's sponsor.

Louisiana would become the 18th state to bar gender treatments for minors should the measure become law. The state has an estimated 4,000 transgender-identifying teenagers.

The bill may encounter legal scrutiny. A comparable ban in Florida earlier this week became the subject of a temporary block from Federal District Court Judge Robert Hinkle, who asserted that "[g]ender identity is real" in his decision.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.