Alabama Bills About Children and Gender Identity

The Alabama legislature has introduced several bills in recent years that would impact children and gender identity. In 2017, a bill was introduced that would have required schools to out transgender students to their parents. Another bill in the same year would have made it a felony for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to minors.

In 2019, a bill was introduced that would have prohibited transgender girls from playing on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. This bill died in committee but it was re-introduced in 2020 and passed by the Alabama Senate. The bill is currently awaiting action by the House of Representatives.

These bills are just a few examples of the ways that Alabama lawmakers are seeking to restrict the rights of transgender children. If any of these bills become law, it would be a major setback for the transgender community in Alabama.

Treatments for Minors

On Wednesday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a bill that prohibits gender-transition treatments for minors. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt of Trussville, said he filed the legislation because he’s concerned that children are being “coerced” into treatments that could have harmful effects later in life. The so-called “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act” will make it a felony for doctors to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to children under the age of 19. Doctors could be fined up to $10,000 and lose their medical license for breaking the law. Alabama became the latest state to take a stand against the transgender movement by signing into law a bill that prohibits gender-transition treatments for minors.

The bill’s sponsors say that they are trying to protect children from making irreversible decisions about their bodies. Critics argue that the bill is harmful and will not achieve its stated goal. They point out that there are no known cases of children regretting their decision to transition, and that the bill will only serve to harm transgender children who are already at a higher risk for depression and suicide.

It is unclear how the law will be enforced, as there is no mechanism in place to track prescriptions or surgeries. It is also unclear whether the law will withstand a legal challenge, as it appears to violate the constitutional rights of transgender people.

Transgender issues are often seen as controversial, but it is important to remember that transgender children are just children. They should be treated with respect and dignity, and their rights should not be restricted simply because of who they are.

The Alabama Senate advanced separate legislation Thursday related to public school bathrooms and discussions of gender and sexual identity in the classroom.

According to Law HB 322, students in public schools would be required to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their “immutable biological sex” as determined at birth. The bill would also prohibit public school teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation with students in grades K-12 unless it is “related to historical, scientific, or literary facts.” The legislation now heads to the Alabama House of Representatives for consideration.

Supporters of the Alabama bill have echoed the claims of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, calling some gender-affirming care for minors “child abuse.” Both laws go into effect 30 days after being signed. The White House denounced the Alabama bills.

Justice Department Challenges Alabama Law S.B. 184, the “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act”

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s S.B. 184, the “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act.” The law, which was signed by Governor Kay Ivey on May 5, 2021, prohibits doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormones to children under the age of 19.

In its complaint, the DOJ argues that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as well as the First Amendment rights of transgender children and their families. The DOJ is asking the court to declare the law unconstitutional and to issue an injunction preventing it from going into effect.