CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Friday, March 22, Governor Gordon signed Senate File 99, which bans physicians from performing gender transitioning and gender reassignment procedures on any child or young adult under 18 years old.
“I signed SF99 because I support the protections this bill includes for children, however it is my belief that the government is straying into the personal affairs of families,” Governor Gordon said in the announcement. “Our legislature needs to sort out its intentions with regard to parental rights. While it inserts governmental prerogative in some places, it affirms parental rights in others.”
SF0099 – Children gender change prohibition does makes an exception for procedures that treat a child born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development. Any procedure to treat a child with medically verifiable central precocious puberty must have consent from a parent or guardian.
The newly passed bill states that it does not prohibit a minor from receiving mental health treatment in regard to gender dysphoria.
This bill has elicited impassioned reactions from civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wyoming. The organization officially announced their opposition to Senate File 99.
“By signing this bill into law, Gov. Gordon has put the government in charge of making vital decisions traditionally reserved for parents in Wyoming,” ACLU of Wyoming Executive Director Libby Skarin said in the announcement. “This ban won’t stop Wyomingites from being trans, but it will deny them critical support that helps struggling transgender youth grow up to become thriving transgender adults.”
