MADISON, Wis. — This week, Republicans in Madison unveiled a series of discriminatory bills aimed at singling out and harming transgender Wisconsinites, and particularly transgender youth. Most recently, legislative Republicans circulated a bill that would ban all gender-affirming health care for Wisconsinites under the age of 18. The Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus and the Transgender Parent and Non-Binary Advocacy Caucus issued the following statements in response.
The Wisconsin Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus released the following statement:
“Gender-affirming care is safe, medically necessary, and saves lives. Legislators should not interfere in private decisions that belong in the hands of patients, their doctors, and their parents. The proposed bill bans all forms of gender-affirming care for Wisconsin youth, going so far as to even ban medications that delay puberty. Preventing doctors from providing life-saving, medically necessary care to their transgender and nonbinary patients under the age of 18 is deeply harmful, cruel, and dangerous. We should be telling transgender and nonbinary youth in our state that they are seen, are loved, and that they belong here in Wisconsin as their authentic selves. While this bill is just the latest in a series of recent attacks on transgender Wisconsinites from both the Trump Administration and Wisconsin legislative Republicans, we stand firm in the knowledge that Governor Evers has said he will veto this and any other bill that hurts LGBTQ+ youth.”
The Transgender Parent and Non-Binary Advocacy Caucus released the following statement:
“We know and love transgender young people and we reject absolutely the notion that Republican politicians in Wisconsin recognize what is best for our families. Here is the fundamental truth: Medical decisions should be made by patients, their relatives, and health care providers – not politicians. Criminalizing the medical care that Doctors provide to their transgender patients is wrong, dangerous, and cruel. This is a dishonest bill that plays along with the Trump Administration’s appalling war against LGBTQIA+ kids and families. We stand with our trans and nonbinary youth, with all who love them, and with Wisconsinites who care deeply about keeping extremist politicians out of anyone’s doctor’s office.”
Senator Mark Spreitzer is the Chair of the Wisconsin LGBTQ+ Caucus and Representative Christian Phelps is the Vice Chair of the Wisconsin LGBTQ+ Caucus.
Senator Melissa Ratcliff and Representative Ryan Clancy are the Co-Chairs of the Transgender Parent and Non-Binary Advocacy Caucus.
