State Laws Banning Transgender Surgeries for Minors Are ‘Cruel,’ ‘Close to Sinful,’ Biden Says

“I mean, it’s just terrible what they are doing. It’s not like a kid wakes up one morning and says, ‘I decided I want to become a man,'” Biden told actor Kal Penn. “I mean, what are they (Florida lawmakers) thinking about here? They are human beings. They love. They have feelings. They have inclinations. Just to me, I don’t know, it’s cruel.”

Biden was replying to a question from Penn about “what the federal government might be able to do to protect LGBTQ Americans, especially trans kids who are dealing with all these regressive state laws.”

According to The Christian Post, Biden and LGBTQ activists have denounced Florida for passing such laws, including one banning trans athletes from competing on teams that are not in accordance with their biological sex. Other states that have passed similar measures include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

The Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine have also voted to ban minors from undergoing gender transition surgeries. Other states that have done the same include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah.

Further, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came under fire last year for passing a law – labeled the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by critics – that restricts any teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third-grade classes.

Throughout his presidency, Biden voiced his support for the Equality Act, which would codify nondiscrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

While the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress passed the bill, it stalled in the Senate. With the Republicans now controlling the house in the 118th Congress, the Equality Act has little chance of becoming law.

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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.