In a rare moment of bipartisanship, a group of Democratic state legislators joined Republicans to pass a ban on ‘gender-affirming’ medical care for minors.
Earlier this week, the New Hampshire state House voted to approve a bill that bars physicians from performing gender reassignment surgeries on children under the age of 18. The measure will now move to the state Senate, where it is also expected to pass.
On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by Jesse Kelly, host of TheFirst TV’s I’m Right, to discuss the legislation and the bravery of the lawmakers who crossed the aisle.
A Bipartisan Ban
In a 199 to 175 vote on Thursday, the New Hampshire House passed House Bill 619, which would prohibit healthcare professionals from performing “genital gender reassignment surgery” on anyone in the state under the age of 18. It would also prevent medical workers from referring minors to out-of-state facilities that offer such procedures.
Twelve Democrats joined all but two Republicans in approving the measure. The bill defines “genital gender reassignment surgery” as any procedure that assists a person with transitioning, such as penectomies, orchiectomies, vaginoplasties, clitoroplasties, and more.
The bill initially sought to ban all ‘gender-affirming’ medical care – surgeries, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones – for minors but was later amended to focus on genital procedures only.
During a tense legislative session, lawmakers on both sides of the issue made their positions known. Rep. Jonah Wheeler, a progressive who represents Peterborough, NH, is one of the Democrats who broke ranks and supported the bill.
In a speech before the vote, he explained why he was willing to “take all the heat” that comes from his decision. “I will fight until my very last day until [the LGBTQ+ community] are recognized as human beings,” Rep. Wheeler said. “But the question before us is whether or not children under the age of 18 should be able to get these surgeries. And I, despite being a liberal who believes in those human rights, do not think that children should be able to get irreversible surgery.”
The bill now moves to the Republican-controlled state Senate and is expected to pass. From there, it would go to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk.
‘Divine Intervention’
Megyn commended Rep. Wheeler and the other Democrats that crossed the aisle. “God bless the lawmakers in New Hampshire,” she said. “I honestly feel like divine intervention went on in New Hampshire last night and made this happen. This can’t keep happening to children.”
Assuming it is signed into law, New Hampshire would become the twenty-first state to ban genital surgeries on transgender youth. While Kelly called it a “step in the right direction,” he said that the need for this legislation points to a larger problem. “We’re in a lot of trouble as a society because these bans are even something that have to happen,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to ban doctors from cutting off a 13-year-old girl’s breasts.”
In Megyn’s view, the bill does not go far enough. “Unfortunately, they didn’t go so far as to include the ban on puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, which sterilizes children,” she said. Even so, it’s a start. “This actually gave me hope for the future of our country,” Megyn concluded. “I have nothing but praise today for those Dems who crossed the aisle to make this happen.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Kelly by tuning in to episode 696 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.