Part of the bill would require health care providers who provide gender-affirming care to submit reports to the state that include some patient information.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Republican lawmaker in East Tennessee has introduced a bill that raises concerns among the transgender community. HB2816 It was introduced by Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), chairman of the House Republican Caucus.
“When you start reading the definition of what that actually means, it comes down to further prejudice and stigmatization of the LGBTQ+ community, transgender people, especially as some kind of ‘health welfare’ against the community.” They are targeting transgender people,” Vice President Gibran Cuevas said. Appalachian Outreach.
The bill is framed as a kind of “bill of rights” for transgender people who want to better conform to their assigned gender at birth.
research by National Center for Transgender Equality, like other advocacy groups, found that in 2022, nearly all respondents were at least “a little more satisfied” with their lives after receiving transition-related care. Only about 4% said they were dissatisfied or had a low level of satisfaction with their lives.
About 98% also said they were at least a little more satisfied with their lives after undergoing hormone therapy, and 97% said the same about gender reassignment surgery.
To ensure public transparency, the bill would require health care providers to provide information about transition-related care, including patient information such as age, prescribed medications, state of residence, possible diagnoses, and contact information. Reporting of statistics will be mandatory. Healthcare professionals.
Providers must complete the report within 15 days after month-end transition care is provided or face disciplinary action. Fines of up to $150,000 could be imposed.
The bill would also prevent cities and counties from banning “the provision of mental health treatment to assist minors” facing issues related to gender dysphoria. It would also prohibit local governments from prohibiting parents from “consenting or withholding consent to the provision of mental health treatment to assist a minor.”
Health care providers who provide gender-affirming care and receive state funding “directly or indirectly” also provide care to help people who wish to better conform to their assigned sex at birth. You need to agree to that.
“Transition means that a person is in a kind of state of change and growth and exploration. Therefore, transition means that a person regains consciousness about himself and begins to take any number of steps. I mean that.” Shannon Brown, President of Appalachian Outreach. “Transgendering can look like someone saying, ‘Yes, I’m somewhere on the gender spectrum, and that’s the perception I have at this point.’ ” and they spend time exploring it. ”
For many members of the transgender community, transition takes several forms. Some people only ask for the use of preferred pronouns, while others ask for hormone treatment. Transgender youth may be prescribed puberty blockers to prevent existing anxieties from worsening as puberty progresses. Some transgender people wear blouses as part of exploring their gender identity.
“Transition is very different for everyone, so when we get into these conversations, we’re often always talking about medical transition. But there’s also a big social component to transition,” said Trans. said Ray Holloman of Gender Task. Power. “A lot of times, the first step for a lot of people is just a social transition, like saying to people, ‘Hey, this is what I want to go to. These are the pronouns I want to use.’ And for some people, that alone may be enough to alleviate discomfort.”
Brown also said gender dysphoria is usually a reaction to hostility from others, and the best treatment for it is acceptance and support.
“Gender dysphoria is people’s reaction to a society that engages in oppressive behavior. Therefore, it is a reaction of people to not being accepted. Therefore, gender dysphoria is rather a reaction to a feeling that one is not accepted. “It’s similar,” she said.
Mr. Faison’s bill would also require that if an insurance policy covers transition-related procedures in Tennessee, it must also cover procedures for people returning to the gender assigned at birth. Insurers are also required to report claim statistics for these procedures in Tennessee. The bill specifically authorizes state attorneys general to investigate insurance companies pursuant to the bill.
“What this bill would do is have a negative impact on the care of transgender people, it would impact their medical care, it would impact their mental health, it would impact insurance companies. Would you want to jump through the hoops?” Cuevas said.
Some members of the transgender community believe that instead, lawmakers should focus on protecting transition-related and gender-affirming care to ensure people have access to care when faced with gender dysphoria. He said that he would like to have a
“We want everyone to have the protection to transition in the way they want, whether it’s medically or socially. Being able to update your birth certificate is a huge thing. Changing your birth certificate Being able to do so means you don’t have to get a passport to prove your citizenship or prove you have the correct gender markers everywhere.Know your gender identity hate crime protections. I just need to feel like I’m a woman, a full-fledged citizen of this state, not a second- or third-class citizen,” Holloman said. .
Mr Brown also called on mental health workers to support clients who are exploring their gender and to advocate for them alongside MPs.
“This kind of law does harm. We took an oath to do no harm. We know this kind of law does harm. So I am committed to supporting the rest of mental health provision. “I want to say to the people: Do something, because our hands are forced to do harm,” she said.
Faison declined to be interviewed about the bill until it is heard in committee. However, he released his statement regarding it.
“People who suffer from gender dysphoria deserve to be treated with respect, love and understanding, as well as proper mental health care,” he said in the release. “This legislation will help recognize the trauma these people have endured and provide a way to recover from the harm inflicted.”
