On Monday, Texas State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Rockwall) introduced two bills designed to crack down on gender mutilation, hormone suppressants, and cross-sex hormone procedures for minors.
Senate Bill 249 would amend Chapter 167 of the Health and Safety Code to make it an offense if a person facilitates genital mutilation procedures on a minor or if a parent or caregiver knowingly consents or facilitates such a procedure.
Senate Bill 250 would revoke any physician’s medical license if they were to perform gender reassignment surgeries or prescribe puberty blockers to minors. A similar bill by Hall passed the Senate during the previous session (2021), but it died in the House.
Hall notes that transgender surgeries are a huge money-maker for hospitals and he believes they are doing it not for the benefit of the child, but to create patients for life.
“It is absolutely appalling that the medical industry is advocating for these barbaric practices, completely ignoring recent studies that show that these surgeries do not provide a long-term solution for children who are experiencing gender dysphoria,” said Hall. “Children who are experiencing gender dysphoria need compassionate help as their body matures, not irreversible surgeries that they will later regret.”
A recent Texas Scorecard investigation found that Dr. Scott Mosser, who runs a private practice in San Francisco, admitted to having performed more than 2,000 procedures to remove girls’ breasts. Dr. Mosser’s website advertises the surgeries for $8,500 to $10,000.
Dr. Andre Van Mol, co-chair of both the American College of Pediatrician’s Committee on Adolescent Sexuality and the Sexual and Gender Identity Task Force of the Christian Medical & Dental Association, told Texas Scorecard that 85 percent of minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria resolve their issues on their own by adulthood unless it is affirmed.
Dr. Val Mol also said that once doctors have medicalized somebody, they’re medicalized for the rest of their lives and will be dependent on doctors for cross-sex hormones and any subsequent complications that arise.
“Once you’ve medicalized somebody, they’re medicalized for the rest of their life. They will never stop needing those cross-sex hormones. They will never quit needing treatment for those possible complications that come with it,” said Val Mol. “If they engaged in surgery, that has a complication rate. And if they engage in further surgery, more so yet. Therefore, any biotech firm that can come up with some widget that makes a biologic male look more like a female, or vice versa, it’s all money in the bank and it goes on as long as that person is alive.”
Ending child gender mutilation is one of eight legislative priorities for the Republican Party of Texas heading into the upcoming legislative session. The Legislature will reconvene in Austin on January 10, 2023.
