TEXAS, USA — While lawmakers in Austin continue to spar over legislation that would ban transgender children from getting any type of medical assistance to transition, one of the Democrats working hard to delay the Republican-backed legislation joined Inside Texas Politics to explain why.
“The really frustrating part is that the proponents of this legislation say, 'Oh, we’re protecting children.' But the problem is the children themselves, their family members, their doctors have come and said, 'We don’t want your protection, we don’t need your protection and your protection that you’re offering actually hurts us,'” said Rep. Gene Wu.
Under the bill, children already using medical assistance such as puberty blockers would have to be “weaned off.”
Wu says Democrats are working hard to grandfather in all of those kids so they wouldn’t have to stop treatment.
But the Houston Democrat doesn’t think any of those amendments will pass.
Democrats have managed to the delay the bill at least two times, though, on a technicality.
And during earlier debate in the House, Speaker Dade Phelan had the House gallery cleared after opponents of the bill continued to interrupt the debate. State police physically removed some people from the Capitol.
Republicans have argued the legislation protects Texas children and their families. It is a legislative priority for the party, so it is still expected to pass.
Wu says if the GOP is so interested in keeping kids safe, it would pass gun safety legislation, such as raising the minimum age to buy a firearm.
“The opposition is not willing to even pass a single gun-related bill that would actually make kids safer, not even give any consideration,” said Wu. “But they’re using this, they’re using this saying ‘Oh, we’re going to protect kids.'”