Astrid Burke is a ten-year-old girl who lives in Ohio. While her parents and loved ones accept her as she is, she still doesn’t have a relatively “normal life.” This is because she spends most of her time on regular trips to the state house. There, she tries to advocate against anti-transgender legislation that may impact her future.
As she’s just a young child, Astrid cannot do all the things kids her age do. She doesn’t have time to bake cookies, sing with her friends, or go on field trips like she wants to. In an interview with ABC News, the little girl spoke on her struggles so far.
“It’s been really frustrating at times because there’s just so many people out there who are just really mean,” she said. Astrid’s frustration comes from a proposed bill that will affect all minors hoping for transgender care. The Ohio Bill 68 comprises the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act” and the “Save Women’s Sports Act.”
The first act would ban transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming care. This means that children under the age of eighteen would not be allowed to undergo medical procedures like hormone therapy and gender reassignment.
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The second bill will prevent transgender girls from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. This is because there is an uproar from female athletes complaining that the playing ground is not equal. To them, transgender women still have some male biological features that give them the upper hand while participating in sports.
In Astrid’s case, both laws will affect her everyday lifestyle. However, most medical professionals do not support this bill. They believe that gender-affirming care is simply about supporting someone’s identity. It also helps them look exactly how they feel on the inside.
This care includes but isn’t limited to mental health services and medical interventions such as puberty blockers, hormone medications, and surgery. However, most of these options would not be available to minors once they pass this bill.
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According to the lawmakers against these gender-affirming procedures for minors, children cannot make these decisions at a young age. So, they believe it is essential that they can only access such life-changing procedures when they’re old enough. They also think some medical professionals use these kids for “experiments.”
On the other hand, medical experts believe these procedures are quite essential and cautious. A member of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Christopher Bolling, spoke to ABC News to give his insight on the issue.
Bolling said that pediatricians and physicians are “extremely cautious” when it comes to gender-affirming care regardless of what people may believe. He also mentioned that they often have many long conversations with people who are questioning their gender before considering age-appropriate medical interventions based on treatment guidelines.
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Furthermore, this gives the patients and their parents much time to process and understand all the information. It also gives patients time to explore their identity and create an individualized approach to care.
Therefore, banning gender-affirming procedures might have negative consequences as people believe it provides the government with power over their lives instead of individuality.
Many parents have also said they would rather move than allow the bill to decide their children’s future identities.
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