The Missouri Senate approved a bill that would prohibit the prescribing of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to children but advocates expect there to be opposition from House Democrats.
The Missouri House is expected to debate the bill this week.
“There was money from specific political groups that were given to even Senate Republicans,” said Chris Barrett, chapter leader for Gays Against Groomers Missouri. “That is what caused the bill to be a little watered down. I don't know if that's what's going on in the House but it's certainly not a guarantee that it's going to be strengthened there.”
SB 49, also known as the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, provides that no health care provider should prescribe or administer cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to a minor for gender transition unless the minor was receiving the treatment before August 28 this year.
“The Senate bill is certainly better than nothing but this is something that just needs to be done away with altogether,” Barrett said. “Anything that we can do in the House to make it a little bit stronger bill than what it currently is would be a good thing.”
The World Professional Association for Transgender Help (WPATH) found that in up to 94% of children, gender dysphoria will disappear or resolve itself naturally before, or early in, puberty.
As a result, Barrett would like to see child-use of puberty blockers banned permanently.
“I have no problem with trans adults,” he said. “They can do whatever they want to do and that's perfectly fine. I have trans friends. This isn't anti-trans legislation. It's just to protect kids from making life altering decisions before they're even old enough to vote.”
The Senate also approved SB 39 requiring transgender students athletes to participate on teams matching their birth gender.
As previously reported in the St. Louis Record, currently transgender girls are required to have at least one year of hormone therapy before competing on a girls’ team and must continue with the therapy to equalize competitiveness with non-transgender girls by maintaining their hormone levels.
"I understand that that maybe seems unfair that we're going to go ahead and force the few leftover through puberty and becoming adults of the same sex but it's just what needs to be done," Barrett added. "When it gets down to it, trans women should not be allowed to participate in female sports at all, period. That's just the way I see it."