New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law making the Empire State a so-called “safe haven” for trans-identified youth.
“As the birthplace of the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights, New York is proud to protect, defend and affirm our LGBTQ+ community,” Hochul said in a statement released on Sunday. “From Stonewall to Marriage Equality to GENDA, New Yorkers have been on the forefront of the fight for equal rights.”
“Now, as other states target LGBTQ+ people with bigotry and fearmongering, New York is fighting back,” she continued. “These new laws will enshrine our state as a beacon of hope, a safe haven for trans youth and their families, and ensure we continue to lead the nation on LGBTQ+ rights.”
According to The Christian Post, Hochul signed S.2475-B and A.6046-B on Sunday to amend current legislation and bar courts in specific cases from considering other states’ laws that would authorize the removal of a child from a parent or guardian’s care if the caretaker allowed the minor to undergo sex-change surgeries.
The bill also prohibits authorities from working with out-of-state agencies and individuals to investigate people pursuing hormonal interventions or sex-change surgeries in New York or those helping someone receive such treatments.
So far, about 20 states have passed laws prohibiting sex-change surgeries or hormonal treatments on minors.
Earlier this month, Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. of the Eastern District of Arkansas rejected a state law seeking to prohibit these types of treatments for minors.
“It is widely recognized in the medical and mental health fields that, for many people with gender dysphoria, the clinically significant distress caused by the condition can be relieved only by living in accordance with their gender identity, which is referred to as gender transition,” Moody Jr. wrote in his decision on Tuesday.
The law, titled Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, or Act 626, was signed into law in 2021.
“If Act 626 takes effect, adolescents whose parents and doctors agree that gender-affirming medical care is appropriate treatment for their gender dysphoria will be unable to receive that care in their home state and unable to get referrals from their doctors to receive care in other states. This will cause irreparable harm to the Plaintiff adolescents, Plaintiff parents and Plaintiff doctor.”
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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.
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