In an expected move, Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that aimed to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors, CBS News reported.
Evers has sworn to strike down any proposals from the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature that he feels are harmful to LGBTQ+ youth. "I object to restricting physicians from providing evidence-based and medically appropriate care to their patients, restricting parents from making medical decisions with physicians to ensure their kids receive the healthcare they need, and preventing patients from receiving that basic, life-saving care," he wrote on X, according to The Advocate.
The bill, passed by the Legislature in October, would have banned gender-affirming surgeries as well as all forms of gender-affirming care for minors in Wisconsin, including puberty blockers and hormone treatment using estrogen and testosterone.
At least 22 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and most of those states face lawsuits over the measures. Gender-affirming surgery for minors is rare, with fewer than 3,700 performed in the U.S. on patients ages 12 to 18 from 2016 through 2019, according to a study published in August.
Andrew Davis