The New Hampshire Senate approved a pair of bills on Thursday that would prohibit most care for transgender minors affirming most of the transgender minors.
One of the bills would prevent doctors from administering puberty blockers or hormonal treatments to patients under the age of 18. Patients already receiving these treatments before January 1, 2026 would be authorized to continue with them, under an amendment added by the Senate.
The other bill would prohibit thoracic surgeries affirming the sexes before the age of 18.
The bills are part of an increased emphasis on the transgender questions of the Republicans to Concord, which adopted laws last year prohibiting trans students from sports of girls and prohibiting genital surgeries affirming sex.
Most major medical companies in the United States – including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics – support access to the sexes for young transgender people. They say that these treatments can be essential for the mental health of trans adolescents, avoiding the distress of going through puberty in a body that does not correspond to gender identity.
Republican legislators, in New Hampshire and nationally, called these inappropriate treatments for children and questioned their long -term side effects.
“Leave the children quiet and let them develop!” The Republican senator Kevin Avard of Nashua almost shouted in the Senate on Thursday during the vote on a bill. “If they are 18 or over, do what you want, you are an adult.”
Avard cited the testimony of certain defenders of other states who declared to the New Hampshire legislators whom they had received from affirmative care and later came to regret it. (Studies indicate The regret rates for such care is extremely low.) He said that children who are not old enough to marry legally should not be able to change their bodies with hormones.
“It’s dangerous. It’s reckless. And it’s disgusting! ” Added.
Senator Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat, warned that the abolition of healing care for sex could seriously harm the mental health of young people.
This does not erase the identity of young transgender people, “she said.” This simply removes their ability to access safe and based on evidence. And the consequences can be devastating. “
The two bills adopted the House earlier this year. Because they were modified by the Senate, they will need final approval of the Chamber before they can go to the office of Governor Kelly Ayotte.
Before the vote on Thursday, some parents of Trans children awaited the result impatiently. Rosie Emrich de Hooksett, whose 9 -year -old child started on puberty blockers this year, said that these bills and others made people and their families feel less welcome.
Her family, she said, followed the legislation and “tried to decide if the New Hampshire is a place where we can continue to live with our child”.
Jennifer Boisvert from Nashua also wonders if the New Hampshire is the right place for his family. Her 13 -year -old Luke son was released as Trans at the age of 9 and recently received his first dose of testosterone.
“These are difficult and difficult decisions that I have looked for by which I have spoken to doctors, for which we have prepared for years,” she said. “And for this session of the Legislative Assembly, to say:” Hey, you know, we do not trust you as a parent, we do not trust your suppliers, and we will make decisions that we think better “- it’s really heartbreaking.”
Luke said that it was difficult to go through childhood normally, while politicians struggle with the opportunity to cut his access to a medication on which he counts.
“This is not something that I should have to face,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to be so involved in politics and stuff when I’m just like a 13 – almost 14 -year -old child – a kid trying to make friends, go to school and succeed in what I want to do.”