In a public letter, a Texas House of Representatives member who is a Democrat, Shawn Thierry, explained her vote in favor of banning transgender procedures for children.
She supported the establishment of 18 years as the minimum age for seeking gender reassignment procedures.
“Today, I voted to raise the age to 18 for children to receive GnRH-analogs, (i.e. “puberty blockers”), cross sex hormones, and to undergo irreversible surgeries when experiencing gender dysphoria,” Thierry wrote Friday.
“After hearing from constituents, listening to stakeholders, and reviewing the scientific data in this country and around the globe, I am assured that this position is rooted in sound policy which supports the health, development, and overall well-being of minors.”
The Democratic state representative explained that she supported establishing an age restriction of 18 for gender reassignment procedures by drawing a comparison to other age-limited activities such as getting a tattoo, using tobacco and tanning beds, and consuming alcohol.
Based on this reasoning, she stated that she could not permit such procedures to be conducted on minors without restrictions.
Thierry wrote, “It is only honest to admit and accept that little is known about the long-term effects of prescribing taking GnRH-analogs, (i.e. “puberty blockers”) and cross-sex hormones to children as young as 8, 9, and 10 years of age solely for the purpose of affirming gender dysphoria. Wheat we do know is that these drugs can cause harm to a child’s health including early onset of osteoporosis, incontinence, increased risk of blood clotting, stroke and heart attack, infertility and sterility.”
My statement on voting to raise the age to 18 for gender modification treatments and surgeries. #txlege pic.twitter.com/BmKdoSWH9i
— Shawn Thierry (@ShawnieT146) May 13, 2023
