A South Carolina lawmaker has introduced legislation banning minors from undergoing sex reassignment surgery and from receiving medications that delay puberty or help alter gender.
The bill, the South Carolina Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, was introduced by Democratic state Rep. Cezar McKnight and would mean potential felony charges against doctors who perform the surgery on minors or provide the related drugs, according to WLOS News 13.
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McKnight, who was joined on the bill by 23 Republicans, said he has received strong support from his constituents, many of whom have told him they may support sex reassignment surgery, but only if the patient is an adult.
“Black Democrats tend to be more conservative than white progressives,” McKnight said in a recent interview. “I would not have ever put this bill forward if I didn’t think the people in my district wouldn’t be receptive, and they are. Pastors, young parents, older parents, they all tell me the same thing: If you want to do this, wait until you’re 18.”
The South Carolina Democratic Party slammed the bill and approved a resolution saying the party “condemns this outrageous bill — and its Democratic supporters — in the strongest possible terms.”
Some on social media have called for a censure of McKnight, but he said he has no plans of pulling the bill and that he may make tweaks to certain provisions.
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Several states have made pushes to prevent minors from undergoing sex reassignment surgery, and a similar bill that would punish doctors who administer hormone therapy to minors was recently approved by the Alabama Senate.
